State says intends to retake idle Tanga sisal plantations

THE Deputy Minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Ms Angellah Mabula, has directed the Tanga regional leadership and land commissioner seven days within which to prepare and submit to her, a report on all undeveloped farms in the region, for initiation of repossession procedures.

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The move had been prompted by failure by investors in whom the farms were entrusted to develop them. It is one of the highlights of Ms Mabula’s official tour of sisal plantations in Korogwe District last week.

She cited Mohammed Enterprises Company Limited as an example, explaining that it hadn’t developed the sisal plantation that was allocated to it in August, 2016, and failed to do so even after being granted a three-month extension.

According to a report submitted to her, the plantations are Mazinde Estate, Kwalukonge Estate and Mabogo Estate. “The companies didn’t develop farms that were privatised in 2000, in defiance of a provision in the privatisation Act, that compels an investor to embark on the process after 48 days.

The Korogwe Rural MP, Mr Steven Ngonyani ( Maji Marefu), who was in the deputy minister’s entourage, praised the government’s move, as members of the public to whom they would be allocated would convert them into farms and housing plots.

“I fully support the government’s sisal sector development initiatives, but rather than remain idle, it is better for them to be allocated to people who would use them as bases for agricultural development as well as settlements, “ he said.