Nationalization and re-distribution of land in Zanzibar: the case study of Western district, 1965-2008

Land is valued not for itself alone; its possession is a form of security, a symbol of prestige and a source of power and income. For many years a conflict of interest between the haves and the have not’s dominated the socio-economic and political scenes. As a result land reform measures have been widely advocated and often used as a device to equalize the land resource among members of the community. The present study constitutes a significant contribution to the historiography of this problem. This study documents the history of land nationalization and re-distribution in Zanzibar from 1965 to 2008. Western District is the case in point. The findings reveal that the land reform in Zanzibar is a complex issue that affects not only economic aspect of the islands but social and political as well. The study also reveals that the introduction of the land reform in Zanzibar aimed at providing better living conditions to the Zanzibaris and remedying the inequality of the tenure system which contributed to instability, insecurity and unrest. However, the reform produced unexpected social, economic and political disturbances causing mistrust, resentment, and economic decline. This study concludes that although land reform in Zanzibar did not necessarily create a condition for socio-economic development as was expected by the Zanzibar Government, it can certainly be a key to such development in the future.