Squatters‘ Rights and the Land Laws in Tanzania

Abstract

This paper discusses the position of land law in mainland Tanzania in relation to those who hold land outside the formal legal regime, in particular squatters, also referred to as informal landholders. It traces the concept of squatting and its evolution in the Tanzanian land legal regime. The paper analyses the land tenure position of squatters in the courts of law, the National Land Policy and the new land laws. It discusses the schemes of validation and regularizaron of interests in land under the Land Act, 1999 as the squatters' main options to formalize their title to land. The future of squatter's land rights is also discussed. In this paper Tanzania means Tanzania mainland (Tanganyika) because although Tanzania is a union, land is not among the articles of union and therefore each part of the United Republic of Tanzania (Tanganyika and Zanzibar) retains sovereignty as far as land administration and management are concerned.