Tanzania: Government seizes ‘idle’ land from investors to return to farmers

| June 13, 2016

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The Tanzanian government has launched a program to return land to poor farmers, and Tanzanian investors will soon lose any undeveloped land. The program is an attempt to quell conflicts between farmers, herders, and developers.

If land parcels are larger than 20 hectares and deemed “idle,” the government will re-distribute them to other users. The program aims to discourage investors who buy land for its speculative value rather than developing its assets.

William Lukuvi is the Minister for Lands, Housing, and Human Settlement Development. He said, “Our intention is to identify those holding large areas and farms without developing them. We will revoke their title deeds and give the land to those in need.”

The program comes after decades of deadly conflicts between farmers and herders over access to land and water. Recently, frequent droughts have forced herders into valleys, raising tensions between the two groups.

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Photo credit: The Citizen