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Tabata Dampo demolitions probe team to submit report today
2008-03-28 10:15:10
By Correspondent Austin Beyadi
An independent probe team which was formed to investigate the demolition of 96 homes in Tabata Dampo area in Dar es Salaam has asked for more time to conclude their assignment saying the task had become harder than expected.
Speaking on the telephone from Butiama on Tuesday, the Minister for Regional Administration and Local Government, Steven Wassira, said that the team leader had informed him that the time frame for the task given was too short while a number of things were still pending.
According to the minister, the government had decided to give it one more week to enable it thoroughly investigate the saga and come out with a comprehensive report.
Initially, the probe team was scheduled to submit its report on March 23, this year, but will now present its findings today after the government gave them one more week.
``The given time was not enough to complete the task…their suggestion is valid, that is why the government added one more week to allow them produce a comprehensive report,`` said Wassira.
He said the government will act promptly after the team presented its report, besides making it public.
``We can not publicise the probe teams outcomes on the same day it has been submitted to us, we need time to go through it in order to understand its content,`` he said.
Among other things, the investigation team has been tasked to review the whole demolition process and procedures used in carrying out the exercise that left about 500 families homeless.
Other terms of references include establishing if ethics, rules and legal procedures were followed during the operation.
On February 29, this year, a bulldozer mowed down over 88 houses at Tabata Dampo area in the city on a directive given by Ilala Municipal authorities.
The demolitions have caused and continue to cause untold suffering among the affected families, who have since turned down advices to move to relocated areas until they have been compensated.
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