3
policies changed
6,519
people with secure tenure
44%
Women in steering committee
LAND RIGHTS IN TANZANIA
In 1991, the government of Tanzania established a Presidential Commission of enquiry into land matters. The commission listened to land complaints, reviewed land policies, assessed land institutions, and recommended changes. Its findings led to the development of the 1995 National Land Policy, which has been under review since 2016.
Despite being under review, it triggered the passing of two land laws that regulate the governance of land in Tanzania today: the Land Act No 4 and the Village Land Act No 5 (both of 1999), which came into effect in 2001.
Both legal frameworks offer strong protection for community lands in theory. In practice, however, the laws have proved less than effective. For example, the Village Land Act encourages customary arrangements, which in some cases discriminate against women. Additionally, despite the act, it takes a long time for villagers to obtain the Certificate of Customary Right of Occupancy (CCRO), the legal document that recognises village land rights, leaving people in limbo. Inadequate implementation of the existing legislations, incomprehension of the legal texts, and -- in some cases -- overlapping roles of the government institutions dealing with land further complicate governance.
