Tanzania: State Dishes Out 1.2bn/

THE government has allocated 1.2bn/- for executing construction of the first phase of housing projects in Handeni, Tanga Region for the people, who will voluntarily agree to vacate Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA).

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa disclosed this on Sunday while speaking to the residents of Msomera village before inspecting the project whose implementation features 103 houses, which are in the various stages.

“The construction kicked off on February 28th, this year and it is expected to reach 78 per cent by March 12th, this year. Out of the 103 houses, 53 have already been roofed and completion is ongoing, 42 houses are at the structure level and eight are in their foundation stages,” said Mr Majaliwa.

Premier Majaliwa directed all ministries, institutions and departments responsible for executing voluntary relocation processes for the people living within NCA to closely collaborate in the effective complete of the exercise.

He noted that people who have voluntarily agreed to relocate will be given a house and three acres of land to continue with their pastoral activities.

Elaborating, the Premier said that the move to relocate the pastoralists is aimed at strengthening further the conservation activities within the area.

“The government will uphold all human rights principles during the exercise to relocate the people living at Ngorongoro Conservation Area to the designated areas, which have been allocated for them including in Msomera village. The government has already surveyed 2,500 plots and set aside 1,700 acres for grazing and farming,” he stated.

Similarly, the PM directed Tanga regional authority to meet with the leaders and residents of the village in further raising awareness on the issue, adding that it is for their own development and nation as a whole.

For his part, the Deputy Minister for Livestock and Fisheries, Mr Abdallah Ulega, revealed that the government intends to utilize the area to act as a demonstration farm by enabling livestock keepers across the country to embark on productive livestock keeping as compared to the current state.

Based on this, he requested them to grant the deserved cooperation to the government.

On the other hand, the Deputy Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlement Development, Mr Ridhiwani Kikwete, seized the opportunity to request the leaders and residents of Handeni to take into proper consideration advised effective management and land use to overcome land conflicts.

He was of the view that all the designated areas for livestock activities should be well protected and used as intended.

The residents of Msomera expressed their readiness to receive their counterparts, who are willing to relocate from Ngorongoro, extending appreciation that their arrival will contribute to the improvement of infrastructures and other social services including water, health and electricity.

Earlier on presenting the project implementation report, the Coordinator of the Project, Prof Wakuru Magigi said the project is designed to meet the existing demand of having in place a modern pastoral town, which is equipped with all crucial social services including cattle dips and auction centres.

Prof Magigi noted that the people who will move at the area will be issued with title deeds, further availing them with opportunities such as securing loans among others.

Last week, Mr Majaliwa received a list of names of 453 individuals, who are willing to be relocated from Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA).

They are members of 86 households among the pastoral communities, who have expressed their intention of moving from the 8,292 square kilometres. Presenting the list to the Premier, Arusha Regional Commissioner John Mongela assured of smooth relocation of the individuals to their new surroundings.

“We’ll ensure that they get title deeds for their rangelands, farms and homes as many more to register in my office,” disclosed the regional commissioner.

Earlier, while addressing more than 350 Maasai elders, also known as Laigwanans, the Premier said President Samia Suluhu Hassan had expressed her deep concern over the fate of the area, which received the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Global Geopark status in 2018.

The president’s apparent concern had to do with the sheer number of livestock, people and human settlements, which co-existed with wildlife, according to the Prime Minister.

“There was this fear that the Ngorongoro area was on the verge of extinction and could eventually get stripped off some of its revered ecological global accolades,” said the PM.