Why Tabitha Siwale will be fondly remembered in land, housing circles

A few days ago, the curtain was finally drawn on the life of Mama Tabitha Siwale of the Royal Family of Mwambenja. She passed away at the ripe age of 86. Mention her name, and two things immediately come to mind. She was a teacher before Independence and went on to be the Headmistress of two well-known Girls’ Secondary Schools, Bwiru and Korogwe. A number of prominent Tanzanians remember her as a very tough and no nonsense Mwalimu.

Two, she is reputed to be the first woman (full) Minister in the post-Independence Cabinet and having served in two Ministries. We remember her here because she served as Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development (MLHUD) from 1975 to 1979, when she was appointed Minister for National Education, a position she was for sure at home with.

In 1982 was reappointed Minister for Lands until 1980 when she retired from Ministerial duties but remains Member of Parliament till 2000. Among her contributions to the Land and Housing Sector was her appointment as Chairperson of the Ardhi Institute later Ardhi University Council.

She was a great fighter for women’s rights to own land and housing in their own right. But, at the same time she was very concerned that low income households were not excluded from land, be they men or women.

The following narrative summarises what she was as far as land and housing were concerned.

There was a National Conference on Housing held on 13-14 February 2006 which called for the popularising of micro-finance institutions especially SACCOs, and enabling them to finance housing for low-income households.

As an ardent campaigner for housing for low-income households, former MP and Minister for Lands, and then Chief Executive of WAT-Human Settlements Trust, Mrs Thabita Siwale, called on Tanzanians to go for low-cost land and low-cost housing which they could afford.

She argued that the land delivery system should have schemes aimed at low-income households. These would normally be small plots provided at high densities and located in accessible areas. This was when the minimum official plot size was 400 sq. m., which was considered to be on the large side for efficient land management and keeping the cost of access to land low. Town planners however, were against the lowering of minimum plot sizes, much as this was beneficial for low-income households.

WAT-Human Settlements Trust, and NGO which she was a founder and Chief Executive, was campaigning for adoption of small houses with an area of around 75 sq. m. The design was in such a way that the house grows and could be constructed in phases. They advised that construction should start with a 25-square-metre core house and a Ventilated Pit Latrine (VIP). The household could move into this core house and continue construction, using savings from house rent.

The core house could grow and provide another room which could be rented out, that enabling this low income household to slowly improve their house without a huge financial burden.

On the basis of (expected) rental income, the household could also qualify for a micro-loan to improve te growing house as time went by.

Mama Siwale passed on a few days after International Women’s days. She should be remembered as a fighter for women’s rights in general and to land and housing in particular.

Besides her name, top women officials who have manned the lands sector include Ambassador Gertrude Mongella, the Secretary of the Beijing Conference, Tatu Ntimizi and Rita Mlaki who have been Minister and Deputy Ministers respectfully. Others are Judge Stella Longway who was once Commissioner for Lands and Ambassador Salome Sijaona who was once Permanent Secretary in the Ministry.

Then there is the former top executive of the UNHABITAT, an organisation, which is closely linked with making land available for the development of human settlements, Prof Anna Tibaijuka, who is also a Tanzanian woman with a well-known record of fighting for women’s rights and who also manned the Ministry of Lands as it sMinister.

Mama Siwale was also as keen supporter of Cooperative Housing as a way of mobilizing low income households to house themselves.

She is gone, but her imprint on the land and housing sectors remains and the seed she planted should be grown into trees. May she rest in eternal peace!