Dar es Salaam. Critics have slammed the proposed government plan to delist all wards, villages and sub-villages within the contested Ngorongoro conservation area as unconstitutional, warning that the move would seriously impact the rights and livelihoods of dozens of Maasai communities that have refused to relocate to other designated areas.

The plan contained in Government Notice 673 and made official by Government Gazette No. 32, Vol.105 dated August 2, 2024, involves the delisting 11 wards, 25 villages and 96 sub villages as part of the government’s restructuring of the administrative areas in the country.

The plan comes two years since authorities have been implementing what they term a voluntary exercise to relocate Ngorongoro residents, many of them of Maasai tribe, to other areas, such as Msomera in Tanga, under the pretext of conservation. 

On the other hand, residents have described the exercise as an eviction, pointing to the cut of essential services such as water and health to prove their argument that authorities do not carry out the exercise voluntarily but are systemically forcing people out of the UNESCO-inscribed World Heritage Site.

The latest evidence that the exercise is not voluntary is that electoral authorities had reportedly transferred the names of residents who chose to remain in Ngorongoro to Msomera, preventing them from participating in the local government elections in November and general elections in 2025.

READ MORE: What You Need to Know About the 18-08 Ngorongoro Maasai Demonstrations in Tanzania

The development, alongside other serious hardships the Maasai in Ngorongoro had been enduring since the relocation attempts started, triggered demonstrations on August 18, where members of the community decried alleged state-backed persecution, calling for their mistreatment to stop and authorities respect their land and human rights.

The Chanzo asked the Minister of State in the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Governments, Mr Mohammed Mchengerwa, what might have necessitated delisting all villages from Ngorongoro but said he’d put us in touch with the responsible officer for comment. He hadn’t done so until we published this story.

Prof Issa Shivji, one of Africa’s leading experts on law and development issues, said in an X post that the villages’ delisting will have far-reaching legal and democratic implications for the people of Ngorongoro, urging authorities to rethink their plan.

“It means that affected citizens will not have local government authorities of their own,” said the renowned Tanzanian intellectual. Tanzanians will attend the civic elections on November 27, 2024, to elect their local government representatives. “The constitution recognises local government authorities as the foundation of people’s sovereignty. Delisting villages will take away those rights.” 

Boniface Mwabukusi, president of the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS), told a press conference on Tuesday that the Bar Association of Tanzania Mainland has formed a special committee to follow up on the issue and inform its intervention as a professional association.

READ MORE: Lawmaker Accuses Govt of Depriving People of Ngorongoro of Basic Social Services

“This issue, like many others regarding Ngorongoro, deserves a close follow-up, and that’s why the [TLS governing] council has decided to form this particular committee,” Mr Mwabukusi said. “Among other things, the committee will investigate this matter closely, which includes communicating with relevant authorities to get all the facts and ensuring that the rule of law is being upheld in its implementation.”

The relations between authorities and the Maasai community in Ngorongoro have been deteriorating since the government started implementing its highly controversial plan to remove the Maasai from what they consider to be their ancestral land. This latest move is destined to make the already tense relations even worse.

On Tuesday, for example, Maasai reportedly refused to speak with district officials who showed up at their protests to appease them, saying they wouldn’t talk to them for they’ve always shown no interest in hearing the Maasai and resolving their issues. The Maasai seek an audience with President Samia Suluhu Hassan, whom they consider the chief architect of their ordeal.

Several actors have appealed to the government to drop its plan to relocate people from Ngorongoro. The main opposition party, CHADEMA, advised authorities on Tuesday to sit down with the Maasai representatives and explore amicable ways to resolve their issues.