TANGA: THE Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign launched its ten-day outreach in Tanga Region with a strong start, focusing on key issues such as violence against children and land grabbing cases.
At the campaign’s opening yesterday, Minister for Constitution and Legal Affairs, Dr Damas Ndumbaro, expressed his satisfaction with the preparations made in Tanga Region and the efficient systems in place to ensure legal aid services reach as many citizens as possible, in line with President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s goal of providing accessible legal support to the people.
“President Samia Suluhu Hassan wants justice to prevail throughout the country and every citizen in need, including those in Tanga, should have access to legal support to address their challenges,” said Dr Ndumbaro.
“The president believes that where there is justice and equality, there is peace and where there is peace, there is progress. It is her desire for all citizens to achieve development.”
The campaign has already benefitted more than two million individuals across 23 regions, with Tanga now added to the list of areas set to benefit.
Dr Ndumbaro encouraged Tanga residents to come out in large numbers to take advantage of the legal aid services available.
A team of professionals, including experts from his ministry, the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS), various legal institutions and private lawyers are on hand to assist.
Tanga has been named as a region with a significant number of reported cases of violence against children.
The government has urged families and parents to report perpetrators boldly and promptly to the authorities.
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Religious institutions have also been called upon to continuously condemn acts of gender-based violence, while government legal officials and local authorities are urged to take action against offenders without fear.
During the campaign’s launch, a woman from Tanga City lodged a complaint about the alleged illegal sale and transfer of ownership of a family house.
In response, Dr Ndumbaro directed the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB) to investigate the case.
The minister described the incident as a clear example of land double allocation, which is a criminal offence.
“I want this case to set an example for how we deal with officials who violate land allocation procedures and rob citizens of their rightful properties,” Dr Ndumbaro stated.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Community Development, Gender, Women and Special Groups, Amon Mpanju, said that Tanga has the highest number of reported child abuse cases in the country.
“Out of 7,320 cases reported nationwide last year, 457 came from Tanga alone,” he said, citing police reports.
Mr Mpanju also stressed that the campaign has been a significant support for marginalised groups, many of whom, due to financial constraints, are unable to afford legal representation and thus have difficulty securing their rights.
