Legal aid intervention helps man retain home after ownership dispute

DAR ES SALAAM: LEGAL experts from the Samia Legal Aid Campaign have successfully resolved a property ownership dispute between two residents of Temeke district in Dar es Salaam region, between Mr Jafar Hamis and Mr Ferooz Bakari over a house located in the area.

Speaking to the ‘Daily News’ at the disputed property shortly after the resolution, Mr Hamis said that he purchased the house from Mr Bakari on May 15 last year for 13m/-.

He said the transaction was done in accordance with the legal procedures and was officially registered at the Kibonde Maji A local government office at Iringa Road.

However, six months after the sale, Mr Bakari resurfaced, denying the sale ever took place and claiming instead that he had rented the house to Mr Hamis under a tenancy agreement, an allegation that placed Mr Bakari at risk of losing his home.

“I was formally handed over the house by the previous owner, along with the tenants who were residing there. Since the day of purchase, the tenants have recognised me as the rightful owner and have been paying rent to me. I’ve also made renovations to the house,” he said.

“Earlier this year, Mr Bakari returned, claiming that the money I paid was not for a sale, but a loan. However, he had no documents or evidence to support his claims. Fortunately, the sale agreement was written and verified at the local government office and the local chairman actively supported the process.”

Mr Hamis reported the matter to the Police, but when summoned, Mr Bakari requested to be released and promised to return to the station, a promise he never fulfilled.

Mr Hamis later filed the case to the Temeke District Housing Reconciliation Board, where Mr Bakari appeared once but failed to present any supporting documents and never returned.

“The board ruled that any personal belongings left in the house by Mr Bakari be stored in a separate room, to be collected later in accordance with legal procedures,” he said.

After exhausting all channels, Mr Hamis sought final assistance from the Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign team to ensure the matter was concluded justly.

Commenting on the case, the Temeke District Coordinator for the Legal Aid Campaign, Mr Moses Matiko confirmed that the legal team’s investigation found that Mr Jafar had lawfully purchased the house, having followed all proper procedures, including signing a formal sale agreement and completing full payment.

He said that legal officers from the Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign launched a comprehensive investigation into the ownership history of the property.

They reviewed official documents, previous agreements and payment records submitted by both parties.

“We received Mr Jafar Hamis Sekuza, a retired councillor and rightful owner of the house, who came to seek legal help through the Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign. He filed a complaint against Mr Ferooz Bakari, who has been at the centre of the dispute. I attempted to contact Mr Ferooz and identified myself as part of the campaign team, but he hung up the phone and became unreachable afterward,” he said.

He added: “Based on our findings, we issued legal instructions to Mr Ferooz Bakari to recognise Mr Jafar as the lawful owner of the property and to cease any further acts of harassment.”

Mr Matiko urged leaders, authorities and the general public to follow legal procedures in all property transactions and to avoid exploiting or harassing vulnerable citizens.

He also encouraged citizens to trust in their government and to participate in campaigns like Samia Legal Aid, which are dedicated to ensuring justice and equal rights for al