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Demolitions result of poor urban management skills
2006-03-15 10:26:48
By Editor
Dar es Salaam is both a wonderful and funny African city . Whenever some major public works or structural re-organisations are envisaged and eventually carried out, it seems that they must be accompanied by large scale demolitions of valuable property.
There are many examples of this destructive practice. When the Morogoro Highway along the Ubungo-Mbezi section was up for expansion and modernization, several mansions had to be pulled down by the government, causing public outcry and criticism from civil society groups.
Similar awful practices—destruction of properties worth of millions—along the Mandela Expressway, Shekilango road were carried out, and presently under execution is demolition work along the Sam Nujoma road.
Last week, we watched on our TV screens ugly scenes depicting city askaris destroying kiosks and other trading outlets downtown, because, according to the city authorities, they were erected illegally. Some of these kiosks belonged to disabled men and women.
As if that was not enough, self-employed touts found themselves in running battles with ex-military servicemen employed by a security firm to bring order and security to passengers at bus stands.
Reports have it that DAWASA will also soon carry out demolitions along its five-metre right of way by the Ruvu water pipeline to remove illegal structures— some being multi-storey buildings.
While nobody can justifiably dispute the aim and actions of council authorities behind the demolition move, its timing and manner of execution raises hard questions in need of answers.
The so called illegal kiosks and related structures downtown were built in one in day, so to minimize the damage, city directors could have taken action at the inception stage.
One of the major contradiction clouding the exercise, is that all small traders were operating licensed businesses as well as duly paying taxes to both central and local authorities.
A plausible argument from the city authorities points out that small traders have been defiant by turning down their directive to move to special trading centers established to cater for their business needs.
The small-traders, however, were not involved in selecting suitable locations, neither wasa social marketing initiative carried out to change the attitudes of the traders.
The central government has ordered demolitions stopped—a sanctimonious move that really sticks in observers’ throats.
Demolition practices should be seen as the last managerial step to be taken by urban leaders.
Destruction of properties amounts at least to the exacerbation of unemployment and poverty, and at worst, to outright theft.
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