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RC orders arrest of village leaders
2006-11-07 10:10:17
By Nico Mwaibale, PST, Mbarali
Mbeya Regional Commissioner (RC) John Mwakipesile has ordered the immediate arrest of all village leaders in Mbarali District who have been accused of demanding and receiving unspecified amounts of money from some pastoralists in order to spare them from being evicted to designated areas for livestock keepers.
The RC made the orders after he was informed by the pastoralists to the effect that they had bribed some village leaders so that their livestock could be left in peace at Usangu forest reserve.
Speaking to residents of Kapunga village here, Mwakipesile ordered police to arrest all village leaders mentioned by the pastoralists and institute charges against them.
He called on the pastoralists not to succumb to corrupt leaders who do not observe their work ethics.
He said livestock keepers should move their animals to designated areas in Lindi, Coast and Mtwara regions.
The herders told the RC they had paid village leaders 200,000/- to 500,000/- so that they could be allowed to continue grazing their cattle in the protected area.
The pastoralists are said to have mentioned names of the concerned leaders.
Mwakipesile said that grazing of the cattle in the Kapunga plantations had caused the investor to suffer huge loss in terms of damaged infrastructures and paddy seeds destroyed, which were almost ready for planting.
He said pastoralists who will not move their livestock from the plains would not be fined again.
”Instead, we will confiscated and auctioned their livestock immediately,” he said.
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