Ngorongoro Crater. The Ngorongoro District Commissioner (DC), Col Wilson Sakulo, told ‘The Arusha News’ that officials, for example, have started inspecting blocked toilets and overflowing latrines in schools and health facilities with the intention of providing a conducive environment for human habitation. However, Col Sakulo was quick to add that the government remains firmly committed to its policy of voluntary relocation of all residents of the Ngorongoro Division to Msomera in Handeni district, some 400 kilometers away. The move isn’t ended to improve conservation efforts in the Ngorongoro area for the benefit of present and future generations, as well as to enhance the quality of life and standard of living for those relocating voluntarily. The DC’s remarks echoed those of the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Amb. (Dr) Pindi Chana, during her visit to the headquarters of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA). She assured officials that the President’s directive to restore social services to Ngorongoro Ward would be implemented fully, while emphasising the government’s commitment to voluntary relocation. Dr Chana directed the NCAA management to carry out an awareness campaign for the residents of Ngorongoro on the benefits of relocating to new areas allotted by the government, so that those willing to move could do so voluntarily.
The Ngorongoro saga took a dramatic turn when the Minister of State in the President’s Office, Mohammed Mchengerwa, published in the Government Gazette, Government Notice (GN) No. 673 early August, 2024 delisting 25 out of 35 villages in Ngorongoro Ward. This move affected more than 110,000 people and over 700,000 livestock, including goats, sheep, donkeys and 230,000 head of cattle. Reportedly, their development budget and voting rights were transferred to Msomera without consultation, prompting villagers to stage a peaceful five-day sitin (August 18-23, 2024), blocking tourist roads to Ngorongoro and Serengeti. The demonstration led President Samia to dispatch Mr William Lukuvi, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, and Coordination, to Ngorongoro to announce the halting of all discriminatory measures targeting the Maasai indigenous communities. The President also ordered the restoration of health and education services, water supply and other social amenities. Additionally, she instructed authorities to make arrangements for the registration of the people of Ngorongoro Division to vote in the November local government polls and next year’s general election. The President of the Tanzania Episcopal Confrence (T E C), Bishop Wolfgang Pisa, criticized the government’s move to evict the Maasai community from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, questioning the authenticity of the voluntary relocation plan launched two years ago.
The prelate, who is also the Bishop of Lindi, expressed his concerns in a homily widely circulated by Vatican News during celebrations marking the Silver Jubilee (25 years) of the priesthood of Bishop Anthony Lagwen of Mbulu Catholic Diocese in Arusha Region. “There is no truth that the Maasai people are moving voluntarily; they are being forced out and they are raising their voices about the denial of their rights. The government should sit at the same table with the people of Ngorongoro—don’t force them to move,” Bishop Pisa said to the congregation. Meanwhile, people in Ngorongoro told ‘The Arusha News’ by phone that they were taking a “wait and see” approach as to whether they would be allowed new construction permits for residences and businesses. They claimed that roads to their villages were impassable, as the NCAA only maintained tourist roads. Ngorongoro district covers a total area of 14,036 square kilometers, with 8,292 sq km or roughly more than 60 per cent, under the NCAA. The district has a total population of 273,000 people, divided into the three divisions of Ngorongoro, Sale and Loliondo. About 8,000 people have voluntarily relocated to Msomera
