TLS volunteer lawyer expands legal reach

DAR ES SALAAM: A VOLUNTEER lawyer with the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS) has successfully helped resolve two emotionally charged legal disputes during the Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign, which provides free legal services to underserved communities.

Halima Salim Saidi, an advocate known for her regular pro bono work, assisted in clarifying a pension-related inheritance dispute involving a retired soldier and also mediated a family conflict between two siblings living under the same roof.

Speaking to ‘Daily News’ after the cases, Ms Halima said TLS invited her due to her ongoing commitment to community-based legal work.

“TLS contacted me because I frequently volunteer to help people access justice. I was glad to be part of this important initiative,” she said.

In the first case, she supported John Mwakipesile, a retired army officer struggling to understand his role in securing pension benefits for the child of his late brother.

Although the family had relied on him to lead the inheritance process, he had not been formally appointed as the estate’s administrator.

The dispute centered on confusion over social security benefits, which under Tanzanian law are disbursed through pension funds rather than directly from the government treasury.

The deceased had contributed to the pension fund for over 15 years.

“He brought a letter from the pension fund, but the language was too technical for him to understand,” Saidi explained.

“Because of his military background, he consulted fellow officers who gave him conflicting and incorrect advice.”

After reviewing the letter with him line by line, Saidi clarified that the entitlement remained valid under pension legislation established in the 1990s, regardless of new payment procedures outlined in the letter.

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“He was very relieved after our discussion and said he would stop filing complaints and proceed with the proper legal steps,” she added.

In a second case, Ms Halima intervened in a domestic dispute between Mariam Abdallah, a mother of two and her brother Bakari Abdallah, who lived in the same compound.

The disagreement escalated when Bakari verbally attacked Mariam’s child during a heated exchange while Mariam was recovering from illness.

Bakari admitted feeling guilty, acknowledging that his sister had cared for him through personal crises, including a stint in prison.

After the altercation, he left the house and became temporarily homeless.

“He came to us visibly distressed. Despite everything, he said his sister was the most important person in his life,” Saidi said.

Both siblings were invited for mediation, where they agreed to reconcile.

However, the legal team identified alcohol abuse as a contributing factor to Bakari’s behaviour.

As part of the resolution, he agreed to stay away from the household for one year and ten days to give both parties space to heal.

“They shook hands and parted peacefully. It was a powerful moment of restoration,” said Saidi.

The Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign continues to bridge the justice gap by offering professional legal services to individuals who might otherwise go unheard.

“These aren’t just legal issues; they’re personal battles for dignity and clarity,” Saidi said.

“Helping resolve them is why I do this work.” TLS has pledged to expand its outreach through more pro bono partnerships and mobile legal clinics