The Land Acquisition Act Cap 118
The Land Acquisition Act Cap 118
The Land Acquisition Act Cap 118
PART I
PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
1. Short title.
2. Interpretation.
PART II
COMPULSORY ACQUISITION
(b) Compensation
11. Government to pay compensation.
12. Restriction on compensation.
13. Disputes as to compensation.
14. Assessment of compensation.
15. Interest.
16. Effect of decision of court and postponement of payment of compensation.
17. Parties in possession as owner to be deemed entitled to lands.
18. Payment to operate as discharge.
(c) Miscellaneous
19. When the President may withdraw from the acquisition of land.
20. Costs and execution in proceedings in which Government is party.
21. Proceedings where possession of lands withheld.
22. Penalty for obstruction.
23. Effect of service of notice.
24. Saving for acquisition by agreement or under any law.
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25. Transfer to the President.
26. Persons entitled to transfer.
27. Form of transfer.
28. Certificate of title where no deed available.
29. Effect of transfer.
30. Conditions to be imposed upon a corporation for which land may be acquired.
31. Publication of conditions imposed upon corporation.
32. Compensation to be under this Act regardless of any law.
PART III
REDEVELOPMENT AREAS
33. Interpretation of Part III.
34. Declaration of redevelopment areas.
35. Extinction of private rights.
36. Re-grant of land on right of occupancy.
37. Preservation of trusts, incumbrances, etc.
38. Exemption from fees and stamp duty.
PART IV
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
39. [Repeal of R.L. Cap. 118.]
40. Saving and transitional provisions.
41. Regulations.
CHAPTER 118
THE LAND ACQUISITION ACT
An Act to provide for the compulsory acquisition of lands for public purposes
and in connection with housing schemes.
[23rd March, 1968]
[G.N. No. 12 of 1968]
Acts Nos.
47 of 1967
25 of 1968
2 of 2002
PART I
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PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS (ss 1-2)
PCh118s1]
1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Land Acquisition Act.
2. Interpretation
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires–
"corporation" means any body corporate incorporated or established by or under
any written law and includes a company which, though not incorporated in
Tanzania, has complied with the provisions of section 321 of the Companies Act
Cap. 212*;
"Court" means the High Court (Land Division);
"land" means any parcel of land held for a Government lease as defined in the
Freehold Titles (Conversion) and Government Leases Act Cap. 393* or under a
right of occupancy as defined in the Land Act Cap. 113* and any portion of, or
any estate or interest in, such land;
"Minister" means the Minister responsible for lands;
"minor settlement" means a minor settlement declared as such under the Local
Government (District Authorities) Act Cap. 287*, or an area under the
jurisdiction of the District Council which immediately prior to the establishment
of such District Council was a minor settlement;
"municipality" means a municipality established under the Local Government
(Urban Authorities) Act Cap. 288*;
"township" means an area within the jurisdiction of a Town Council and an area
which, immediately before the establishment of a District Council for any part of
Tanzania, was a Township declared under the Township Ordinance R.L. Cap.
101*.
PART II
COMPULSORY ACQUISITION (ss 3-32)
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for the provision of sites for industrial, agricultural or commercial
development, social services or housing;
(b) for or in connection with sanitary improvement of any kind,
including reclamations;
(c) for or in connection with the laying out of any new city,
municipality, township or minor settlement or the extension or
improvement of any existing city, municipality, township or minor
settlement;
(d) for or in connection with the development of any airfield, port or
harbour;
(e) for or in connection with mining for minerals or oil;
(f) for use by any person or group of persons who, in the opinion of
the President, should be granted such land for agricultural
development.
(2) Where the President is satisfied that a corporation requires any land for
the purposes of construction of any work which in his opinion would be
of public utility or in the public interest or in the interest of the national
economy, he may, with the approval, to be signified by resolution, of the
National Assembly and by order published in the Gazette, declare the
purpose for which such land is required to be a public purpose and upon
such order being made such purpose shall be deemed to be a public
purpose for the purposes of this Act.
5. Preliminary investment
(1) If the President considers it desirable that land in any locality should be
examined with a view to its possible acquisition for any public purpose, it
shall be lawful for any person either generally or specially authorised by
the Minister in this behalf, and for his assistants and workmen, to do all or
any of the following things–
(a) to enter upon and survey and take levels of any land in such
locality;
(b) to dig or bore under the subsoil;
(c) to do all other acts necessary to ascertain whether the land is
adapted for such purpose;
(d) to clear, set out and mark the boundaries of the land proposed to be
taken and the intended line of the work (if any) proposed to be
made thereon:
Provided that no person shall enter into any building or upon any
enclosed court or garden attached to a dwelling house (except with the
consent of the occupier thereof) without previously giving such occupier
at least three days' notice of his intention to do so.
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(2) As soon as conveniently may be after any entry made under subsection
(1), the Government shall pay for all damage done in consequence of the
exercise of any of the powers conferred by subsection (1), and, in the case
of a dispute as to the amount to be aid, either the Minister or the person
claiming compensation may refer such dispute to the Regional
Commissioner for the region in which the land is situate and the decision
of the Regional Commissioner shall be final.
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11. Government to pay compensation
(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, where any land is acquired by the
President under section 3, the Minister shall on behalf of the Government
pay in respect thereof, out of moneys provided for the purpose by
Parliament, such compensation as may be agreed upon or determined in
accordance with the provisions of this Act.
(2) Notwithstanding any provision of the Land Act Cap. 113* to the contrary,
the President may, with the consent of the person entitled to
compensation under subsection (1) of this section and shall, in cases where
it is so required by subsection (3) of section 12, make to the person entitled
to compensation a grant of public land not exceeding in value the value of
the land acquired, for an estate not exceeding the estate acquired and
upon the same terms and conditions as the land acquired was held, so far
as the same may be practicable, in lieu of or in addition to any
compensation payable under this section.
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(c) the approval of the Minister of, or the consent of the Commissioner
for Lands to, a disposition of the land; or
(d) the approval of the local government authority within whose area
redevelopment of the land.
(7) In this section–
"rural area" means any area which is not an urban area;
"unexhausted improvements" means any quality permanently attached to
the land directly resulting from the expenditure of capital or labour by a
person holding under a right of occupancy or Government lease, or any
person acting on his behalf or holding under him for a term of years, and
increasing the productive capacity, utility or amenity thereof, but does not
include the results of ordinary cultivation other than standing crops or
growing produce;
"urban area" means an area within the jurisdiction of a city, municipal or
town council.
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or constructed thereon thereafter or to be made or constructed in the
implementation of the purpose for which it is acquired;
(b) when part only of the land belonging to any person is acquired, take into
account any probable enhancement of the value of the residue of the land
by reason of the proximity of any improvements or works made or
constructed or to be made or constructed on the part acquired;
(c) take into account the damage, if any, sustained by the person having an
estate or interest in the land by reason of the severance of such land from
any other land or lands belonging to the same person or other injurious
effect upon such other land or lands;
(d) not take into account any probable enhancement in the value of the land
in future;
(e) not take into account the value of the land where a grant of public land
has been made under the provisions of subsection (2) of section 11;
(f) assess such compensation in accordance with such principles, in addition
to and not inconsistent with the principles specified in this section, as may
be prescribed.
15. Interest
(1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (2), where the President, in
pursuance of a notice under section 7, has entered into possession of any
land before the compensation has been paid to the person or persons
entitled to the same, or before compensation awarded by a decree of the
Court in respect of such land has been paid into the Court, as the case may
be, the Minister shall pay to such person or persons, in addition to the
compensation, interest thereon at the rate of six per centum per annum
from the date when possession is taken until such compensation is paid to
such person or persons entitled to the same or is paid into the Court.
(2) At any time after the publication in the Gazette of a notice under section 7
to yield possession of any land, the Minister may, without prejudice to the
ultimate conclusion of any agreement as to the compensation to be paid or
to the ultimate award of compensation by the Court, pay or tender to any
person or persons entitled to such compensation such amount as he may
consider to be a fair compensation for the land acquired, and where such
payment or tender has been duly made, then, as from the date of the
payment or tender, interest shall not be payable under subsection (1) of
this section upon such part of the compensation ultimately agreed on or of
the compensation ultimately awarded by the Court as may be equal to the
amount so paid or tendered.
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16. Effect of decision of court and postponement of payment of compensation
(1) Appeals from decisions of the Court shall be governed by the provisions
of the Land Diputes Courts Act Cap. 216*.
(2) In all cases where any compensation has been awarded by the Court, the
amount thereof shall be paid into the Court (except where the Court
otherwise directs) and shall not be paid out of Court save in accordance
with the directions of the Court.
(3) The payment of the amount of compensation into the Court as aforesaid
shall operate as a complete discharge of the Minister from all claims in
respect of the land but shall not bar any subsequent proceedings by any
person claiming to have a better right to the compensation or a right to a
share of the same against the person to whom the same has been awarded:
Provided that no proceedings under this subsection by any person claiming to
have a better right to any compensation or a right to share in any compensation
shall be commenced three years after the date of the final decision.
(4) For the purposes of this section the date of the final decision means the
date of the decree of the Court or, where an appeal has been made against
such decree, the date of the judgment of the Court of Appeal.
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Court for directions as to whom and in what proportions the
compensation should be paid.
(3) An application for directions under subsection (2) shall be by chamber
summons and shall be regulated, insofar as the same may be applicable,
by the rules prescribed in the Civil Procedure Code Cap. 33*.
19. When the President may withdraw from the acquisition of land Cap. 216
(1) Nothing in this Act shall be construed as requiring the President to
complete the acquisition of any land unless he has entered into possession
of the land or has failed within one month of the judgment of the Court to
intimate to the Court that he does not intend to proceed with the
acquisition:
Provided that where acquisition is not completed the owner of the land and all
persons entitled to any estate or interest in the land shall be entitled to receive
from the Government all such costs as may have been incurred by them by
reason or in consequence of the proceedings for acquisition and compensation
for the damage (if any) which they may have sustained by reason or in
consequence of the notice of intended acquisition.
(2) Where the amount of costs or compensation to which a person may be
entitled to under the proviso to subsection (1) is not agreed upon, such
person may institute a suit in the Court for the assessment and recovery of
the same.
(3) Every suit under subsection (2) shall be governed by the Court and the
decree of the Court may be appealed against in the same manner and to
the same extent in all respects as other decrees of the Court.
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for the time being in force regulating the enforcement of decrees and
orders against the Government.
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25. Transfer to the President Act No. 25 of 1968
Where a notice to acquire any land under this Act has been published in
accordance with the provisions of section 8, the person entitled to transfer the
land shall, within six weeks of the publication of the notice in the Gazette,
transfer and convey the same to the President, notwithstanding anything to the
contrary contained in any written law or in any order made or issued by a court
otherwise than under the provision of this Act.
28. Certificate of title where no deed available Acts Nos. 25 of 1968 s. 4, 2 of 2002 s.
57
(1) Where six weeks have elapsed since the publication, in accordance with
section 8, of a notice to acquire any land, and no deed of transfer or
disposition has been executed for the transfer of such land to the President
in accordance with the terms of such notice or other terms as may have
been agreed upon between the Minister and the person entitled to transfer
such title, the Minister may apply, ex parte, to the Registrar for the grant
and registration of a certificate of title to the land in accordance with such
terms, and notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the
Land Registration Act Cap. 334* or any other written law or any order
made or issued by a court otherwise than under the provisions of this Act,
the Registrar shall, if satisfied by affidavit or otherwise that–
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(a) the application is made in such circumstances as aforesaid; and
b) no proceedings in respect of the acquisition of the land other than
proceedings for or relating to compensation, are pending before the
Court or the Court of Appeal of Tanzania, grant to the President a
certificate of title to the land in accordance with such terms and
record and register the same in the appropriate register.
(2) In this section, Registrar means–
(a) where the land is registered land, the Registrar of Titles appointed
under the Land Registration Act Cap. 334*;
(b) where the land is unregistered land, the Registrar appointed under
the Registration of Documents Act Cap. 117*.
30. Conditions to be imposed upon a corporation for which land may be acquired
It shall be lawful for the President to require any corporation as a condition
precedent to any declaration under subsection (2) of section 4 to enter into a
corporation contract with the Government making stipulations to the satisfaction
of the President with regard to any of the following matters–
(a) the provision of security for the payment of the cost of and compensation
for acquisition of the land;
(b) the terms on which the land shall be held;
(c) the time within which and the conditions under which the work for the
construction of which the land is to be acquired shall be executed and
maintained; and
(d) the terms on which the public shall be entitled to use and derive benefit
from the work and to deal with the corporation in connection therewith.
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31. Publication of conditions imposed upon corporation
Upon the execution of any contract referred to in section 30, the stipulation
contained in such contract shall be embodied in the order of the President under
subsection (2) of section 4.
PART III
REDEVELOPMENT AREAS (ss 33-38)
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(2) Where the owner of any land has accepted rent from an occupier who, or
whose predecessor has constructed any building on the land, the building
shall be deemed to have been constructed with the consent of the owner.
PART IV
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS (ss 39-41)
41. Regulations
The Minister may make regulations for the better carrying out of the purposes of
this Act and, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, may make
regulations–
(a) prescribing anything which under the provisions of this Act may be
prescribed;
(b) prescribing forms of notices, transfers and dispositions to be issued or
made under this Act;
(c) prescribing, subject to the provisions of section 14, the principles upon
which compensation under Part II shall be assessed;
(d) prescribing rules for the registration of trusts and other interests to which
section 37 refers.
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