Dodoma — IGNORANCE on law and procedures to follow to possess land has been main reason for most of land conflicts, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlement development, Dr Allan Kijazi, said.

He made statement following revelations from a special programme aimed at addressing land conflicts out of the court. The programme embarks on its next phase today in Dodoma.

Dr Kijazi underscored the need for the public to seek legal advice before buying a piece of land to avoid land conflicts.

Dr KIjazi said the ministry started the programme in Dar es Salaam where 380 complaints were solved; saying most of them were result of public ignorance on laws and procedures.

"We have come up with this programme to hear and solve land conflicts countrywide. It has started in Dar es Salaam and the next region is Dodoma," said Dr Kijazi.

He said Dodoma has been chosen as next region considering that it faces many land conflicts.

Dr Kijazi said the conflicts are solved administratively and both parties are given written decisions.

He said owners abandoning their lands and failure to develop was another cause of conflicts since people tend to invade and start construction.

"When one is issued with a land permits, they are supposed to develop the area within three years, some people leave the plots idle for some years, hence making a loophole to invade them," said Dr Kijazi

He said the ministry will soon embark on an operation to identify, take back the idle lands and give them to other interested people because such areas have been the source of conflicts.

"I must admit that there are some unfaithful public servants who have been behind the land conflicts," he stated.