Tanzanian Bishops urge government to stop forcible Maasai relocations from Ngorongoro

Sarah Pelaji  - Dar es Salaam

President of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC), Bishop Wolfgang Pisa, OF Cap, made the call this week, when he spoke at the Silver jubilee celebrations of priesthood for the Bishop of Mbulu Catholic Diocese, Anthony Lagwen.

Forced relocation from ancestral habitat

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area in northern Tanzania is a World Heritage Site managed by the Tanzanian Government. For centuries, the Maasai people have lived in the area alongside wild animals.

In 2022, the Government of Tanzania launched a programme to encourage the 'voluntary relocation' of the Maasai from the conservation area to Msomera, a town located about 400 kilometres away from their traditional habitat.

Many Masai tribesmen and observers have criticised the ‘voluntary relocation’ plan as far from being voluntary.

Those who refused to move from the Ngorongoro Conservation Area have experienced inhuman treatment perpetrated by the country’s security forces. On 18 August 2024, the Maasai community in Ngorongoro organised a major peaceful protest along the Ngorongoro - Serengeti highway, demanding that the Tanzanian Government recognise and uphold their fundamental rights.

Denied the right to register as voters

The protest emerged after years of grievances related to the violation of their land rights, restricted access to social services, and physical harassment. The Maasai community has also faced increasing pressures, including denial of voter registration and protracted permit processes when they want to access their ancestral lands.

Last week, the community’s frustration reached a boiling point as they set up roadblocks on a major highway, saying that, for far too long, their voices have been silenced and their rights trampled upon. They are now calling for meaningful dialogue with Tanzanian authorities to address their grievances and are urging the public to support their fight for justice.

Bishops stand with the Maasai

TEC President Bishop Wolfgang Pisa did not mince words when he urged the Government of Tanzania to respect the basis of good governance, transparency, truth, peace, and justice.

He reminded the government that the country’s assets are owned by the people themselves, and the government is simply managing them on behalf of the people. The Maasai community should be respected, listened to, and not pressured into positions that disrupt their way of life. He criticised the government for denying the Maasai essential services, including their democratic duty to vote. Such measures by the government, the Bishop President said, are unacceptable for a country that holds dear the principles and tenets of good governance.

Not true that people are relocating voluntarily

Bishop Pisa also cautioned the country’s defence forces and security wings not to beat-up the Maasai who are fellow citizens, at the government’s behest. Instead, said the prelate, they should realise and remember that their primary purpose is to protect citizens at all times. Human beings, he said, are not donkeys to be treated anyhow. They deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, he emphasised.

The TEC President reiterated the importance of a listening government anchored on justice and responsibility. He called on the Government of Tanzania to dialogue with the elders and representatives of the Maasai in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

“There is no truth that the people are moving voluntarily, but they are being forced out and they are raising their voices about the denial of their rights... good governance is a legitimate way to be responsible and good governance comes from the people themselves... The Government should sit at the same table with the people of Ngorongoro; don’t force them to move,” Bishop Pisa said to much applause from the congregation present.