EVOLUTION OF LGAs DOCUMENT FOR ACCESSING

PREPARED BY MR. NASSIB SELEMAN – LGTI SHYCAMPUS
EVOLUTION OF LOCAL
GOVERNMENT IN TANZANIA

OUTLINE
Concept of Local Government Evolution
Episodes (Pre and colonial) of local
government authorities in Tanzania.
Episodes (Post-colonial) of local
government authorities in Tanzania

Concept of Local Government Evolution
• Tanzania has a long history of Local
Government, going back to the pre-colonial
days.
• The purpose of taking knowingness of the
history of Local Government in Tanzania is to
look at where we came from with the view of
improving the present and the future

• History of local government in mainland
Tanzania (then Tanganyika) goes back from pre
- colonial period when different tribes and clan
practised leadership through self rule
• Such tribal groups were headed by elders who
were respected by every member of the
community
PRE COLONIA PERIOD

Pre colonial cont...
• In many tribes elders formed councils,
• These councils had different names
depending on the locality, for example
“mabanza” in Kisukuma
• These deliberated on important matters
affecting their tribe’s security and welfare

Pre colonial cont...
• An elders’ council would be convened for
example to discuss a threat from another
tribe, the outbreak of serious disease,
famine, environmental conservation,
depredations of wild animals, etc.
• Chieftainship was hereditary

The Colonial era can be divided into two
Phases coinciding with the German era
(1884-1917) and British era (1917-1961)
COLONIAL PERIOD

Colonial period cont...
The Germans Era (1884 - 1918)
• After Berlin Conference in 1884
Tanganyika was taken by Germans
• Local forms of leadership were replaced
by direct rule by the colonial government.

• The Imperial Decree of 29 March 1901 put
into effect what were known as Communal
Unions (Kommunal Verbandes) for the
Districts of Tanga, Pangani, Bagamoyo,
Kilwa, Lindi, Lushoto (Wilhelmstall),
Kilosa, Mbeya (Langenburg) and Dar es
Salaam

• These Unions were given extensive
duties including the establishing of
schools, street lighting, refuse collection,
construction of roads, streets and bridges,
distribution of seeds to natives etc...

• The Unions did not work well and most were
abolished in 1909 except for Dar es Salaam and
Tanga.
• 1910 created Municipal Councils in German
East Africa,headed by the District Commissioner
and incorporating six elected members and two
members appointed by the Governor

The British Era (1917 - 1961)
• Introduced indirect rule
• Enacted Native Authorities Ordinance (Cap 72)
in 1926: which recognised traditional chiefs as
rulers of their tribes.
• These chiefs were empowered to exercise
some administrative, executive and judicial
powers in the areas of their jurisdiction

• In 1946, the Municipalities Ordinance
(Cap 105) was passed and in 1949, Dar
es Salaam became the first municipality
in Tanzania.

• In1950 Native Authority Ordinance was
amended, and established Chief-in
Council: to create Chief-in-council’s
advisory Committees to which ordinary
citizens were appointed members by the
district commissioners
• Power of chiefs were reduced

• In 1953: Local government Ordinance
(cap 333) was enacted and passed: It
established LGAs in all parts of the
country i.e. representatives

AFTER INDEPENDENCE
There were 3 categories of LGAs:
– LGAs established under old NAO Cap. 72
– LGAs established under LGO Cap. 333
– One Municipal council of Dar es salaam
established under Municipal Council
Ordinance Cap. 105

POST - COLONIAL PERIOD
The post-colonial period can be divided into
three phases:-
• The first decade of independence (1961-
1971)
• The Decentralisation Period (1972-1982)
• The reinstatement of Local Governments
(1983/84-1995)
• The Reform Period (1996-2005)

THE FIRST DECADE OF INDEPENDENCE
(1961 - 1971)
• Local Government Ordinance was
amended in 1962 to, inter alia, repeal the
Native Authority Ordinance
• Most of the chiefs were absorbed into the
government as administrators
• The post-independence Local Authorities
worked under difficult circumstances.

THE PERIOD 1961 TO 1971.........
• Independence had just been obtained,
expectations were high
• The number of weaknesses observed:
Inadequate resources to fund services
Lack of capacity in terms of human resources
Mismanagement of the funds that collected by
Lga’s as well as those that the Government
granted to them
The relationship between Local authority staff and
Councillors was almost always poor

THE DECENTRALISATION PERIOD
(1972 - 1782)
• The local (particularly district) Authorities
collapsed
• District Authorities were abolished on 30
June 1972 while urban Authorities were
abolished on June 30 1973
• At the time of their abolition, there were 66
district councils and 15 urban councils in
Tanzania

Decentralisation cont...
• Decentralization was adopted in 1972
• Decentralization refers to transfer of
authority away from the national capital to
field officers and units
• A system of deconcentration of the
government system replaced the
comprehensive Local Government system
which had existed for a decade

The aims of this Decentralisation ;
Rural development should be managed at
district and regional levels
Rural development should be co-ordinated
centrally
The people should be involved in the
development process
Rural development should be effectively
planned and controlled

• Problems
Low people’s participation because of lack
representatives
Powers aimed at the people were actually
hijacked by the bureaucrats who tended to
make decisions on behalf of the people
Many issues were decided from the central,
hence relatively long distances and delays in
decisions
Deteriorating of public services e.g. schools
and dispensaries

• When Local Authorities were abolished,
The Government focus was on rural
areas and this led to a rapid deterioration
of conditions in urban areas
RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF LGA’s

Establishment cont...
• An outbreak of cholera in many urban
areas in 1976 prompted the Government
to set up an investigation team and to
make recommendations on the future
administration of urban areas

• The report that was submitted
recommended the reinstatement of
urban Local Governments.
• The Urban Councils (Interim
Provisions) Act of 1978 required the re-
establishment of town and municipal
councils effective from 1 July 1978.

• Problems Faced
Legally, urban authorities were not
empowered to raise revenue of their own.
Whatever they collected, they did so as
agents of the Central Government and all
collections were immediately and directly
sent to the Treasury.

The new Town and Municipal Councils
depended wholly on the Central Government
for their finances.
Funds received from Central Government
were insufficient and as such, no
development projects were undertaken
during this interim period

• In 1980, the ruling political party, Chama
cha Mapinduzi (CCM),required the
Government to revive the Local
Government system in its entirety

• In 1982 legislations; Acts No.7, 8, 9, 10
and 12 were enacted by the National
Assembly.

• Local Government elections took place in
1983.
• Acts No.7 and 8 reintroduced rural and
urban Local Government Authorities
respectively effective from January 1984

• Problems
The human resource capacity and management
was weak and this seriously affected performance
by Local Government Authorities.
Weak leadership and poor management of the
councils.
Shortage of properly qualified, disciplined and
committed personnel.

Shortage of revenue due to narrow tax base.
Over-employment within the Councils.
Lack of transparency and accountability in the
conduct of Councils business.

Reforming Local Government
(1996-2005)
• The local government reform programme
was formulated and implemented by the
government in order to address the
problems which constrained the
performance of the local government
authorities as mentioned above.

Reform cont...
• Through the programme, the government
intended to strengthen local authorities
and transform them to be effective
instruments of social and economic
development at local level.

Reform cont...
• In June 1996 the Prime Minister
announced the Government’s decision to
restructure and downsize regional
administration.
• Aimed at making Local Authorities more
efficient and effective.

Reform cont...
• Reform areas;-
The Democratic Dimension
Financial decentralisation
Administrative Dimension
Central - Local Relation
Service function

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EVOLUTION OF LGAs DOCUMENT FOR ACCESSING