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Tanzania: Tabata Evictees Now Hire Youths for 'Protection'
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The Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
9 May 2008
Posted to the web 9 May 2008
Pius Rugonzibwa
Some victims of Tabata demolitions yesterday disclosed that they have hired about 100 youths to protect them against a move to evict them from the area.
Their move came a day after the city-based Allied Cargo Freight Company threatened to evict them forcibly today. The company claims to be the legal owner of the controversial area.
The evictees have each been paid Sh20 million by the government through the Ilala Municipal Council. The money was to compensate them for the loss they suffered in the illegal demolition.
However, even after receiving their cheques early this week, the 90 or so families have refused to immediately vacate the area.
They claim more money and time to plan their movement to alternative plots allocated by the government.
A spot check by The Citizen yesterday revealed that members of the families were planning to defend themselves against any attempts to eject them from the place.
About 100 men were allotted areas to stake out for anyone approaching the area to evict them.
On the other hand, the private company on Wednesday issued a notice requiring them to move out by today. Should they not do so they risk forceful removal from the area it claims has been occupied illegally since 1990.
But the evictees said they were not ready to leave the area. Already, a group met their lawyer over the possibility of seeking a court injunction for whatever attempt to move them.
According to Mr Tauzany Mbwana, one of their leaders who spoke to The Citizen, the evictees were ready to die guarding their land against any invasion.
Contacted yesterday for comments, the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Mr Abbas Kandoro, said he would not tolerate any acts of hooliganism in the attempt to move out the Tabata residents whose houses were demolished to pave way for a private investor.
He gave the warning as reports indicated chaos could break out today at the site because alleged owners of the plot, Allied Cargo Freight Company, threatened to move in to forcefully evict the residents.
Mr Kandoro said he was not aware of the threat by the company to invade the area. He asked the Ilala Municipal Council to act fast to avoid more problems in the area.
"As a regional commissioner I will make sure no fracas erupts and I appeal to the parties to desist from any acts that would jeopardize peace."
He asked that evictees who have just been paid be allowed more time to prepare themselves to vacate smoothly.
The matter could, however, also take a different direction. This is because some evictees have insisted that a case they filed in court to protest the demolition of their properties must first be concluded.
Some of the evictees were seen reconstructing their plots even as Allied Cargo Freight was dismissing their case as lacking any legal defense.
A director of the firm, Mr Nicholaus Chawe, said it had already appointed Majembe Auction Mart and Court Broker together with other security organs to move the evictees today.
The Ilala Municipal Council conducted the controversial exercise on February 29 that saw 88 houses being demolished and more than 500 people rendered homeless.
However, the central government intervened, and on May 2 it paid them a compensation of Sh20 million for each house.
Tabata evictees now hire youths for 'protection'
By Pius Rugonzibwa
Some victims of Tabata demolitions yesterday disclosed that they have hired about 100 youths to protect them against a move to evict them from the area.
Their move came a day after the city-based Allied Cargo Freight Company threatened to evict them forcibly today. The company claims to be the legal owner of the controversial area.
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The evictees have each been paid Sh20 million by the government through the Ilala Municipal Council. The money was to compensate them for the loss they suffered in the illegal demolition.
However, even after receiving their cheques early this week, the 90 or so families have refused to immediately vacate the area.
They claim more money and time to plan their movement to alternative plots allocated by the government.
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