RIGHTS OF MASAI

BY VICE CHAIRMAN NGORONGORO ELITES ASSOCIATION (NDUSA)

ONESMO OLENGURUMWA


“MAIGE, MWALYOSI AND NDUKAI DON’T RUSH WE NEED TO RECONCILE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT.”

Ngorongoro Elites association (NDUSA) is a professional forum comprised of all elites living in Ngorongoro.It was registered last year under NGO registration Act. Our vision is to have a united elites of Ngorongoro district, whose their togetherness shall be a tool for fast tracking development in Ngorongoro district. NDUSA shall create a united forum of elites in Ngorongoro out of which through advocacy, laws and policy analysis/lobbying and community participation in all matters affecting their livelihood a free, self reliant and prosperous district whose people control their economy, respect and promote principles of human rights and ensuring that Tanzanians exercise permanent sovereignty over their natural resources will be born
In furtherance of the above Vision and Mission, NDUSA shall endeavour to achieve the following aims and objectives:NDUSA to a large extent seek to unite all university alumni and undergraduates to form a single and vibrant district forum for district development and integrity.To see a large number of indigenous communities in Ngorongoro understands and attain the knowledge of their socio-economic rights and civic rights as provided by constitutions and related international instruments.
To create a spiral network between elites in Ngorongoro, NGO’S and Government that aims to provide transparency and efficiency in all development programs within the district purposes. (To open up floor for discussion between elites and community in general.
NDUSA in collaboration with NGO’S, District council and community shall conduct public expenditure tracking survey/system(PETS) to ensure good governance and proper collection, allocation and proper use of resources within the district. NDUSA as group of elites shall as well advocate and lobbying for good laws and national policies that favour the nature of people living in Ngorongoro.

Even though UNESCO declared to un list Ngorongoro as World Heritage site, we need to put the interests and the rights of Masai living in Ngorongoro into first priority. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area, established in 1959, is a pioneering experiment in multiple land use. Prof Mwalosya is informed that, it is possible to have multiple lands use in Ngorongoro.Here pastoralism, conservation and tourism co-exist in a carefully managed harmony. The centrepiece of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is the breathtaking Ngorongoro Crater which is a caldera .The Act establishes Ngorongoro Conservation area recognizes the presence of Indigenous people living in.

What would they use as their food if you bar them to graze and practice subsistence farming .This is contrary to our constitutions and other international instruments which clamoring for sovereignty over natural resources.After all they don’t benefit from all the billions collected in NCA .This is purely inhumanity to see Big government leaders valuing 30 billions and put aside the lives of poor pastoralists living in Ngorongoro. This is beyond development and harmonization of environment standards in Tanzania, for environmental control to be effective we need a corpus of environmental laws which allows the involvement of regulator and regulated at the same poles. We should encourage Community based Conservation rather than thinking to evict them on their homes.

Therefore we Elites of Ngorongoro, urge the government to be careful with the rights of people living in Ngorongoro crater .We can’t’ say calm incase of any decisions that threatens the survival of Indegegenous in Ngorongoro.We are ready to work together with the government to see how we can transform the community without damaging the environment while respecting their basic rights, and this cant be an overnight activities, it needs huge ivestment and tolerance.

Vice chairman
ONESMO OLENGURUMWA