Understanding Land Ceiling Occupancy Laws in Tanzania
Martha Fatael
In Tanzania, all land is vested to the president as a trustee but there are other authorities that have power in dealing with the possession of the land.
One of those responsible for the lands is the minister has the power to regulate the amount of land that a person or corporate body may occupy.
The law in sections 21(1) and 179 of the Land Act of 1999 empowers the minister to make regulation providing for an area of land that a person or corporation can hold the right of occupancy or derivative right of occupancy as per regulation 3 of the land (Ceiling on Land Occupancy) regulation of 2001.GN 80/2001.
This is particularly intended to avoid large proportions of the land being in the hands of the rich minority leaving the majority landless or occupying the in-fertile areas.
It is such scenarios that have overwhelmed other African countries where the land ceiling has been non-existing such as Zimbabwe despite its bitter history.
