Land acquisition for public use, emerging conflicts and their socio-political implications: Fid-Bau Portal

Land acquisition for public use, emerging conflicts and their socio-political implications

Kombe, W.J.

This article expounds the problematique of land acquisition for public use in Tanzania. Three cases are examined to explore how social, institutional and economic processes, interests and the associated key players interact to generate conflicts and the abortive attempts made to resolve them.

One of the most valuable lessons drawn is that the processes involved in land acquisition for public use, that is, alienation, valuation and compensation, unless supported by clear, institutionalised and inclusive protocols that are transparent and predicable, may result in unintended and undesirable negative consequences such as grievances, triggering conflicts between government and landowners. These could potentially escalate and assume political dimensions that further may undermine socio-economic sustainability of particularly the poor as well as constitute a threat to peace and stability.

It is argued that policy and legislative reforms are necessary to review the current top-down approaches to compulsory land acquisition practices, institutionalise dialogue as a key strategy to acquire land as well as set reliable mechanisms for funding required to pay fair and prompt compensation. Most importantly, mandatory provision for land for resettling and restoring appropriated households to the same position and change of attitude among public officials including professionals are also other critical considerations. The latter is particularly so because ‘business as usual’ outlook practices tend to ignore the transformed urban property landscape especially with regard to private property rights and commodification of land.