Tanzania’s implementation of progressive tenure reforms is riddled with challenges | Land Portal

Land Portal Foundation launches country portfolio in effort to showcase local voices 

 

Land has played a critical role in Tanzania’s development as a nation. Current land tenure frameworks, issues and conflicts in the country have historical roots dating back to the pre-colonial period. In 1999, Tanzania passed as series of land laws and regulations that granted customary rights of occupancy equal status to other property rights, making the country a pioneer in the area of land tenure reform.

Tanzania is currently drafting a new National Land policy designed to strengthen tenure and reduce encroachment by foreign investors. The 2016 version of the Draft Land Policy highlights key remaining challenges that must be overcome to implement successful tenure reform. These challenges include conflicts between farmers and pastoralists, conflicts between small scale producers and large scale land-based investors, lack of strong constitutional recognition and protection of land rights, delays in village land use planning, and land compensation. Moreover, women in Tanzania continue to face inequalities related to access, control and management of lands due to the persistence of strong discriminatory customs and traditions.

To inform the world about current land governance issues affecting Tanzania, the Land Portal Foundation is launching a new Tanzania Country Portfolio. This exciting new knowledge product hosts a wealth of content, including a catalogue of 773 Land Library resources from Tanzania Natural Resources Forum, International Food Policy Research Institute, International Institute for Environment and Development, the Tanzania’s Women’s Lawyer Association,  Journal of Land Administration in East Africa, and many other organizations. The Portfolio also showcases relevant news articles, blogs, events, and organizational profiles. User can visualize data on Tanzania gathered from FAO, World Bank, LandMark and other global organizations.

The Portfolio contains a compelling narrative, written by Tanzanian Land Expert, Godfrey Massay. This narrative discusses land legislation, land tenure classifications, land acquisitions, women’s land rights, land investments, and other fascinating topics. By reading the narrative, users can gain a deeper understanding of Tanzania’s legal frameworks on land and the implications of these frameworks for various tenure rights holders.

When asked about benefit of this new Portfolio, Godfrey Massay said “I agree with a scholar who said ‘Tanzania's land laws- and the land policy they were based upon – are ambitious, complex, contradictory and extremely comprehensive.’ The ongoing National Land Policy review and subsequent reforms provides an opportunity for the lawmakers to fix some of the problems that are in the laws. I have made an attempt to paint the picture of the land governance system in Tanzania through the Land Portal’s country narrative and other resources. These resources should encourage stakeholders to share more information, which I hope will foster transparency in the land sector. "

Laura Meggiolaro, Coordinator of the Land Portal Foundation, said “Tanzania is a crucial country in East Africa that is leading the way on many fronts, including with regard to land governance. The Land Portal’s recent discussion on responsible investment in Tanzania together with Landesa demonstrated that local and grassroots organizations need to be engaged for effective decisions to be made. We hope that this country portfolio will contribute to bringing the voices of the most affected stakeholder groups to the forefront of land governance discussion.”

 

For more information, please visit https://landportal.org/book/countries/TZA

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