Joseph Isangura
Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, Albert Chalamila, has taken a strong stance against the use of private bouncers in resolving property disputes across the city.
His decision follows viral videos showing bouncers violently evicting tenants from a contested home in Msasani Beach, an incident that sparked outrage over possible human rights violations.
The property at the center of the dispute, located on Plot No. 891, involves widow Alice Paskali Haule—wife of the late Justice Lugaibula—and businessman Muhamed Mustafa Yusufali. Haule maintains she and her husband legally bought the house in 2008, while Yusufali’s representatives argue he purchased it in 2011 for TZS 262 million, pointing to official sale documents said to bear her thumbprint.
On September 24, Chalamila visited the home, condemning the use of bouncers and ordering that evictions in disputed cases should only be carried out by court brokers working under the supervision of the police. He further directed that neither party should use the property until the legal process is concluded.
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To ensure a fair resolution, the Kinondoni District Commissioner has been tasked with forming a committee of experts—including officers from the Commissioner for Lands office, law enforcement, and other professionals. Both parties have been summoned to appear before Chalamila’s office on September 26.
For Haule, the battle has been more than a legal fight—it has disrupted her daily life. She says repeated confrontations with hired muscle have left her in constant fear. On the other side, Yusufali’s camp insists their client rightfully owns the house, citing a registered title deed in his name.
Beyond this individual case, the controversy underscores a recurring challenge in Tanzania’s property market. Disputes over land tenure, inheritance, and unclear documentation often fuel tensions, sometimes leading to violent clashes. Chalamila’s order marks an attempt to shift these matters back into the hands of lawful institutions, where due process—not brute force—guides the outcome.
