THE EVOLUTION OF THE LAND USE STRUCTURE OF DAR ES SALAAM 1890-1 990: A STUDY IN THE EFFECTS OF LAND POLICY

Résumé 0

Theoretically, land policy is presented as a necessary intervention by governments in order to iron out the inefficiencies inherent in land markets. The result would be a smooth working urban land market, yielding an equitable and efficient land use structure. In practice though, land policy is part and parcel, and, indeed, a paradigm of the wiser issues of governance. Historically, land policy has been used to serve colonial interests; to achieve segregation between social groups in society; to justify and concretise exploitation and social inequalities; and to allocate wealth, power, and privilege. Laws can be passed, or inappropriate laws upheld by those who control land policy to help them benefit from this policy rather than meet the perceived ends of society. This study surveys the impacts of various tools of land policy on the land use structure of Dar es Salaam, over a period spanning a century from the 1890s. At no time has land policy been found to have aimed at smoothening the workings of the urban land market. Throughout, land policy has been found to have been geared to serving colonial interests, and the interests of government officials and politicians. The result has been an inefficient and inequitable land use structure for Dar es Salaam characterized by social segregation, land grabbing and hoarding, urban sprawl, poor land servicing, prevalent squatting, unequal access to planned and serviced land, violation of land use regulations, disregard of public interests in land use (e.g. diminution of public open spaces and hazard lands). Government intervention inland markets through land policy is seen as necessary, but past policies are seen as having been inappropriate since they are shown to have been gearedtowards perpetuating inequality and privilege. A new approach to land policy has been therefore called for. Recommendations put forward for this new land policy include: The returning of land policy so that in principle and practice land policy addresses and caters for the interests of the majority of the urban population by, for example, working with, and supporting the actions of the majority of urbanites, and thus stopping conceiving land use schemes in terms of benefiting those who are socially powerful to the complete disregard of of those who are socially weak; and here, policies like land poling and adjustment can prove to be very useful.