Write wills to avert conflicts, families urged
DODOMA: FAMILIES have been urged to prioritise writing wills as a proactive step to avoid inheritance disputes, which often create lasting divisions after the death of a parent or spouse.
Despite ongoing aware ness efforts, the practice of will writing remains low across many communities, partly due to cultural per ceptions and a lack of legal education.
The Assistant Director for Public Legal Services in the Ministry of Constitu tion and Legal Affairs, Mr Abdulrahman Mshamu, said many families continue to ignore the significance of wills, with some perceiving the act as inviting death.
“Writing a will is not about anticipating death—it is a legal safeguard. Many inheritance problems could be avoided if people pre pared wills in advance,” he said during the ongoing Nane Nane fair.
Mr Mshamu said that one of the most pressing challenges encountered dur ing the Mama Samia Legal Aid Campaign has been inheritance disputes, a re curring issue particularly among widows and children following the death of a fam ily head.
“In addition to address ing these disputes, we con tinue to offer legal counsel ling and encourage people to establish a routine of writing wills,” he added.
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He said land-related dis putes also remain prominent among public complaints re ceived through the legal aid campaign and the ministry has been addressing them through both legal advice and public education.
He further highlighted marriage and divorce cases as another area of concern, particularly when it comes to the division of property after separation.
“The Ministry also pro motes alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and public education on such methods as a means of eas ing case backlogs in the for mal court system,” he said.
In addition, Mr Mshamu said the pavilion offers edu cation on human rights and the protection of the coun try’s natural resources and heritage wealth.
“We welcome all Tan zanians to visit our pavilion and access these free ser vices. We have qualified ex perts ready to attend to your needs and offer on-the-spot solutions to your legal chal lenges,” he said.
