The Parliamentary committee for Investment and trade has come up in arms against villagers who give land to investors without involving the proper authorities.
The MPs made the reaction during their visit to Liganga Iron Ore and Mchuchuma Coal Mine la`st week.
While there the legislators found that residents of Liganga Ward in Ludewa District had given 1400 acres belonging to the National Development Corporation (NDC) at Amani village to a purported Investor MMI steel Mills for free.
MMI Steel Mills ltd of Dar es Salaam owned by Subhash and Ramanlal Patel had allegedly approached the authority of Liganga ward for the acquisition of 5000 acres of land for the purpose of building a steel industry when the liganga projects takes off.
However the Authority decided to give MMI Steel Mills ltd 1400 acres.
According to a speech by Liganga leaders availed to the MPs, MMI steel Mills in August last year gave them 500 iron sheets and 100 kilograms of nails for the Amani Secondary School project, 97 tones of cement and 24 tones of steel for building the bridge at Katewaka river in exchange to land.
Earlier last month MMI steel mills organised a trip for seven Councillors and three officials to Dar es Salaam to see their other business including Steel mills and hotels.
“The company also had promised us that it would improve the water system for Mkomang’ombe and Kemelembe villages and would provide iron sheets and nails to 14 schools in Ludewa district” said the statement from ward leaders.
Due to that ‘courtesy’ the people of Liganga ward preferred the Liganga and Mchuchuma projects to be given MMI steel mills instead of NDC.
“We call upon MPS to allow MMI steel Mills take up the projects because they have promised to help us” said the report.
Responding to the speech the MP for Kyela Dr Harrison Mwakyembe said, “This is becoming serious! How can you give such a big land for 500 iron sheets?
“You are now taking us back to the colonial era where Chief Mangungo exchanged land for pieces of clothes”, said the no-nonsense MP.
Dr Mwakyembe said since the land belonged to NDC nobody was allowed to touch it because it was only the NDC that has been given the mandate by the Government to supervise any investment prospects of the projects.
“The whole area here is covered with different minerals apart from Iron ore.
“Now, how would you know that there are no minerals in that piece of land which you have given away?” asked the Mp for Ruvuma special seats, Eng Stella Manyanya.
She said villagers should not be tempted by small things to give away land because at the end it is the only resources they have.
The committee decided that they will make a follow up so that the ministry of Land do not endorse the land given to MMI steel Mills.
They have also advised the government to make sure that all land belonging to NDC is not be given out without involving NDC in order to protect national interests and that of villagers themselves.