Dar es Salaam — THE Kinondoni District Commissioner (DC), Mr Saad Mtambule, has intervened in a long-running dispute between Independent Power Tanzania Limited (IPTL) and residents occupying houses at Tegeta, Dar es Salaam, with both sides expected to meet at his office today to seek a peaceful solution.
The dispute involves six residents who have remained in IPTL houses, while the occupants maintain that they have claims and reasons for remaining on the premises.
Mr Mtambule said the matter had been discussed in several meetings aimed at finding a solution, and urged the residents to use legal channels to pursue any claims they may have against the company.
He said the authorities would continue following up on the matter to ensure that any party with a legitimate grievance receives justice.
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The dispute followed a notice issued on July 23 this year to residents of six houses in the Salasala area, asking them to vacate the premises.
Mr Mtambule said some residents complied with the notice and left the area following discussions, while others remained, arguing that they had outstanding claims against IPTL.
IPTL lawyer Musa Muhagama said some of the people occupying the houses were not direct employees of the company, but worked for GGS Security, which provided security services to IPTL.
He said the houses had originally been constructed to accommodate foreign professionals working for IPTL, who later left the country after the company's operations were halted.
According to Muhagama, some people subsequently continued living in the houses without tenancy agreements or paying rent, prompting the company to seek their departure.
"These houses were built for IPTL experts and not for employees of security companies. After the professionals left, some people continued to stay here from 2018 until today," he said.
Mr Muhagama said the area had 12 houses, with occupants of six having voluntarily vacated, while six others remained despite being asked to leave.
However, the residents have disputed the company's position, saying they had worked in the area and continued staying there partly to protect property and pursue claims they say are still outstanding.
One of the residents, Mr Emmanuel Mwemzarudi, said he had previously worked for IPTL and later continued providing security services at the premises after the company stopped operating.
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"After the factory was closed, we could not leave this area open. We continued to stay here to protect property and wait for the issue of our rights to be resolved," he said.
Another resident said some occupants had been invited to live in the area and remained there while pursuing what they described as outstanding entitlements.
