Housing in Dar-es-Salaam

Abstract

Dar-es-Salaam is a comparatively young city. A little over a hundred years ago, the Sultan Seyyid Majid of Zanzibar decided to extend his sphere of influence to mainland Africa by founding a new city around the sheltered mouth of the Mzinga Creek which was ideally suited as a harbour. This was in 1865-~66, when under his ‘grand design’ streets were planned, stonewalls sunk, a palace, mosques and several double-storey buildings were built. Dar-es-Salaam was to become the main caravan terminus for East Africa and adequate port and warehouse facilities were provided for this.’ The local African population, living in small villages in and around the site, were attracted by the new economic opportunities which the new city offered and became easily assimilated. The city’s ethnic mix was further enriched by the presence of some Arab and particularly Indian families. Arabs from Zanzibar were encouraged to settle here by the Sultan himself and Indian traders from Ragamoyo as well as Zanzibar were quick to set up their businesses. Unfortunately the Sultan died in 1870 and his half-brother and successor was not much in favour of Majid’s grand design. He maintained his court on Zanzibar and Dar-es-Salaam was forgotten until 1891, when the German colonial administration decided to move the seat of Government from Ragamoyo to Dar-esSalaam. At the same time it was to become the main port and the centre of commerce and communication for German East Africa. This development raised Dar-es-Salaam above other regional centres in the area and, like any other sea port and capital city, linked it to the international world. The city was growing very fast and at the turn of the century it accommodated some 20,000 inhabitants. At the end of First World War, Tanganyika became a British Protectorate and the new colonial power maintained the German administrative area as the hub of government. Even after independence in 1961, Dar-es-Salaam remained the political and commercial centre of Tanzania. By this time the population had grown ten-fold to over 200,000. The share of the African community was 73% of the population, as against 24% for Asians and 3% for Europeans.