Democracy and Land Conflicts in Tanzania: The Case of Pastoralists versus Peasants

Abstract

This article deals with issues of land conflicts in Tanzania, particularly those that relate to pastoralists and peasants. At the centre of these conflicts, is the extent to which pastoralists and peasants are democratically involved in decision-making on issues of land and other natural resources. An historical overview of the land question is articulated, showing clearly how different government policies, programmes and strategies promulgated and fuelled land conflicts, particularly during the period of liberalisation and privatisation in the 1980s and 1990s. Using cases from Arusha, Tanga and Coast regions to illustrate the land conflicts, the paper argues that at the heart of these conflicts is the top-down centralised bureaucratic and authoritarian system that does not allow for any meaningful people centred-democratic participation of land users themselves (pastoralists and peasants). The article concludes that land conflicts between pastoralists and peasants should not be seen as emanating from the two parties (pastoralists and peasants), but from broader issues of land and national policies, governance, and democratic principles in general. It reiterates that there is a need to rethink and redesign the county’s agrarian policies so as to protect the marginalised and vulnerable groups.