News | CDA dissolution evokes joy

PRESIDENT John Magufuli’s decision to dissolve the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has been described as a lasting solution to painful bureaucracy and land conflicts which had bedeviled Dodoma for a long time.

The general feeling among analysts, urban planning and real estate experts is that, the authority should have been dissolved a long time ago, as it had created many problems.

Yesterday, President Magufuli put pen to paper, to disband CDA along with its board of directors, and announced that the Director Generalm Eng Paskasi Muragili, would be assigned other duties.

According to a statement circulated to the media, Dr Magufuli also directed that all land leases issued by the defunct authority to be extended from 33 years to 99.

Watumishi Housing Company Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Fred Msemwa said the decision would boost investment in the central region, pointing out that previously, investors had to deal with two authorities with similar responsibilities.

“Under new circumstances, there would be one powerful authority which will speed up the decision by the government to shift to Dodoma,” he observed. Dr Msemwa said the decision will speed up the level of efficiency in the land management in Dodoma, saying there will be no overlapping of work.

Former Ardhi University (ARU) Senior Lecturer, Sultan Mundeme, said the move would improve land management in Dodoma, saying one authority in land management is better than having two authorities discharging the same roles.

Mr Mundeme said overlapping functions repeatedly occur when two authorities perform the same activities, saying having one authority in the management of land would improve its efficiency.

University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) senior lecturer Dr Bashiru Ally, said shifting roles to Dodoma Municipal Council will enable the people to take part in land planning, saying since the council is responsible to the public, the people will have authority in the land planning.

“In the council, there will be people’s participation in decision making rather than in CDA which is not responsible to them,” he said. Dr Ally said in order to discharge its responsibilities effectively, the Dodoma Municipal Council should not become a rubber stamp, noting that CDA was an underperformer, largely in land planning.

The media statement issued earlier yesterday quoted President Magufuli as stating that; “For years there has been a lot of complaints against the CDA, especially on land occupation of 33 years, which has been an impediment for investment in Dodoma.

I promised during my campaigns that I will address this issue,” he explained.

The Head of State explained that the move to dissolve CDA and move all workers and property under the municipal council will iron out confusion between the two institutions, “and according to current needs in Dodoma it is clear that CDA is not needed anymore.” “Dodoma residents had complained for a long time over these challenges.

I believe my decision will address complaints that had been raised by the public and we will also have addressed the issue of short term land ownership occupancy,” he noted.

Dr Magufuli added: “Land ownership, certificates of all land plots which have been leased are valid for 33 years ... we cannot attain our industrialisation drive or attract investors whose certificate of land occupancy is valid for 33 years. Now that all CDA responsibilities are under the municipal council, I do not want to hear excuses.”

Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa promised close supervision of the process to have all CDA employees absorbed into Dodoma Municipal Council.

Besides the vice president and the premier, others who witnessed the event include the Minister of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Mr William Lukuvi, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Prof Palamagamba Kabudi, the deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment, Youth and Persons living with Disabilities), Mr Anthony Mavunde, Chief Secretary Ambassador John Kijazi and Dodoma Regional Commissioner Mr Jordan Rugimbana.

In 1994 a report of the presidential commission of inquiry into matters of land noted that the three-way conflict between CDA, local government authorities and residents revolved around land ownership, planning and use of the land in the capital district.

“In other words the central question remains the unresolved issue of the land tenure in the capital city,” read the report in part.

The report noted that Dodoma residents expressed fear that their land was taken away and given to outsiders, adding that they had nothing to gain from the development of the city but landlessness.

In 2015, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) Secretary General Mr Abdulrahman Kinana, called for an end to land disputes in Dodoma region.