19950609 TZCA Tanga

.. , I (l_.~~ IH TJL:"J I:ITGIT COURT 0:~1 '1'/;Jl;3.fJ¾L'i. AT TJ:JJGA '!WI) .E.C~.,.crm, A.FE;J.L lTO. 26 OF 199.3,_ (~-- CIV:--1-1 "CW i:TO. S3 OF 1093 AT LIB.'.iarO) ~ STJ.:PIItJiiO Si..mTh"I ••• o o • . . . . . . . . ,. .... o ,A,rrEL!,iun' j V.CRSUS i',lJ;.LJJCT lJ.,LY ••• o •• ,, • " n •• • • • • • o • " RDSrO:F:nr:;IJT I j U l) G I-1_....,.._.,,....,,__... D .lT T li_StJJU I J !.s. ' I 'l!~ pr,rt:l1os in tbio ccsc nr0 in c'.:U:;1,uto ovor n pioco of lr:tnc1.. Tb..o m~ttcr i~ns p:irou:;b.t fo:t· intorvontion of t)L court whon tb.c l'OS:i:'Jur!G.Ont - I f 1.:c_lild ill suoC: tllo o.-ppollo.nt Sto:pb...-:i,no Si:-.1:rtu'.6. for dccL:rn::tion t~t tbc l::ml in rli011uto bolo11t.,"ucl to bim. ·- 1 ,_. HO C..LQ:Ll:lG ·to·CL J.·t,1 t O l'.laVO 1lll'.t0'.l'."J. ·' ' ' f:ron bis f'r.,tl.-.cr ii.'...o C1CG. in 19eoe Ilofcro X'OfJ:[)vll<.lont l right ovor t.hu s:·::i.c~. 1<.~-ncl nppcll:'lnt ho;cl bcon 'L1Sing it afto:r: :i.t ~:.v.c1 I whon tippc lJ.c.nt 1,ns J.ont the s.b.G-i,:br. o,nc1 up to tho tiDG of tI1c l~CctL of tho :r'Ofll)Ol?,dontts fc:tbor rospoi1ccnt wr,s still n millor. )To c1.ninoc:!_ bnck the s2:s':~Lli)O ::d:'t0r !10 bocn1:1c of ne;o anc~ ovontunlly e;ot r,1a.r:-'..,;i_-Jc1 in 1992. His clrd.r.1 wcs substnntinte:c1. by t;.cc 0vid.0ncc of l::.cr r:iot:;,0:c one; Zninc Al:t o SLo . I confi.rr.:od her so;.1 1s version of the stor·;y t]J;:;t o:ppcllant cc:1:io into :oossosdon of tho lcn:1 in cJisputc by vh·tuu of 'bcinc; knt by hor le to husbnnll• ' ls uxpockc1., np1---ollc.nt bn(l a. c1i.ffo::cat stor3r. 1Ic :r-ofutod tho contention t.b.£!t ho l:::,c1 boon ocoupy:i.i1C t:.<, s~:L}. l)icCO of lunt1 v.ftc.r being lent by tho lnto fr.thcr of tho :r'C",GJ)On,.knt. Tho tru.tt., l10 nss0rts, I is tl.J.,2t ho bou0 ht it for Shs. 320/= frc;:i lii:•J in 1975e ITo ]_".)ro;:lu~d. r: roor.Jipt to 1)'utl"Oss bis oloiw. In tl::.c s~.:i.r..1 :cco.::ipt· it is sl101n1 tb.,1t tbc clai1:wc.~~ sale wi:: □ -wi tnossod by :C:l:ll:lv.i':..i. Kinyr. . slrl. (su.2), Do.uc..i lfozn (s.u 3) nnC. 3nk::ri Kunt;o.. who irJ sd.Q to bo clonc.l.. 'l1ho t,10 w.i tnosscc ,~ho tootifioc1 in thu tr-:i.::-:1 oo~:i.:ct 001uirr.1oc":. tLct tl:.cj 1.i trnooccl tho :r.ofo:rr-ocl solo of tbo sbaLi'bc. :Ln C::isputu-. ' - I I 2 ... The two assessors oiffe:red each otber :ln tllcj_r opinion. T1.u.e first assessor rojeotecl the respondent's clGirn over the s.l.J.ciuba j_n cli.spute beco.uso tl;.e:re is no marked bounc:1'.l~.f sepn:ra.tinc :i. t from the area ~bich is t10 pJ:opcrty of the respon(:'.cnt. On the oth0r bsnc1 tbe second a.ssesr;o:r- ·v.;phelu. the suit on tho e;:;~01.u1d. tb.d the piece of land in dispute \•;as in fact sold to the a:ppol12nt by the fatl:.te::r o:i: the :respondent. T~10 tr:i.8,1 primar<J court n1a(7.st:,:'ate sic1£cl vii tll tb.e latter assessor hence judgment was entered fo:e t:.10 2-.ppelli;int' Stgphono Sc1n.uo,. In bther words t.t.e stti. t was clismissed. ,I On the first :1ppet;,l to the Distrj.ct Cov.rt, the judgment of tbs tr:i.al primary omu•t was overtu:rmed. Apj:,elbnt is clisa.t:i-sfio& wJ. th that decision 1:Jn-100. the.. present appco.16 Gr,,11:-::Tally appellr,nt :°Ls I faulting the appe.lli,te cou:r·t for ig"nor:i.nc_, tLo eviclenoe of his t1-10 ,;;r:;.·tnessos a.r-a. t;.iD ;..T:i.tten sole agreemon·t; 1(;Jb~-: together-· substantiated b.:i.s claim tbo.t t;10 12.n<l. in dispute was soll7. to bim l:lY· tho lntc f';:,,ther of tbe respondent. Tl;:i.s complaint ist w:i.. t.~:c :;:,cspoct, justifiable o Tho . t:c:i.al primar-3· coL1-·rt gave three reasons ~-1;_:_cm ;c.:i.srnissing tLo ::n;j_t. first t,s a matter of fret tho court .-111s satisfiocL r.i th tb.0 evic1m1013 of tbe ap:p0llantg bis two ,j_ tncssts and the written sale agroomont t>:::;t tho 1 1 lnto father of the Nspond.ent did. sell tJ:1.G r.1h:1.mba. in cl.isputG ii.1 1975., ' Soconclly for 17 yocJ:s, tha;t is from the tfa-t;o of thG salo to 1992 ,._,hen l , rosponcJ.ent :file a. the., suit, appellant bv,Ll 1)0011 in undfstu.i•bcd. occupation l of the said. l0c:nc1.o For this :roason th..:, om1.rt llclJ. tb.~t thu sl.'.:L t ·wr-i.s I time barred. AJ.1d. tbirdly the court -was of tho opini.0n that th:.: land in dispute -w~~s not a clt1.n .'lancl othorw"lso ot::.,0r members of the clan I ·uould have objoctocl to tho suid. sale o I e:.osociato myself w:i.tl1 tho learned appollctu W.strict Nu,3istrat0 foJ~ :fct"ulting tbo tr:i.nl j;,:ciiflc~ry court o~ the: quostj_on o:f limitation. Ap:pollo.nt d:i.d not tr·osr,a,se t'.::10 p:ioco of lc:wl in dispute., Ho was, o,ccord..i.ng to the r.:,G))Ondont, I , , lont for some :period of timoe Tho cc,2.so o:f 'action arose when :o.1r.:,cllant I I .. J:'('duscd to :rot-v. :en :i.t after being nskcnl to c.lo so by tyo allGgod. o,mcr. According to tJ:,o J:{)Spono.ont? tbis <..1.0iilOJ'.'.iJ. e,1,.q. /11)}_1Cllar1t 's roi'l.1.sc,l ho;pponccl in 1992• I'or tlu.s reason the s1"!:i.t 11·1c.s ·vlit4-n tb.0 stc·~utory 15.mi tation l)Or:i.oJ. of 12 j'"Ga.TS• E:x~pt f'or tbis, tho' tri2l :t,j'.".i_mars- court was r:i.ght I. in its remaining two J."'0v,soris. I The s<.:concl. C)-~ound cC.vancocl by tt.0 loc:1rnod appolla~oD:i.st:ci.ct Nur;.i.str::te in allowing ' •• •Jg - 3 Tho appollant boi~ tho son of ,J.ato All Musa 11 ho wns pf.lj_•t and. parcel to proportico o-wnod by bis· :i:'13tltor v1lrlch .ho md rieht td inherit any I p1--op.:;rty loft over by. bis la.to fatbor I 11 • ! m. tb. rokpcct, t.'J.OJ."X) :ts no u:i.sputo o:n tho }i'-cs-poi.1d0nt 1 ~1 rigllt to inhori t tho prof>crty 01· bis lute fothcro What t:.,.o t:ci.al court fou11(;. c,s a :fact isl that tli.o 12nd. in ilisputc 'Was no J.or,BGr :part of the, p:.:01'"lcrty of tho late :fatb.G:;:• of the r0s:poncl0nt. It ·1-1as sold by bim to t:10 . I nppclla.nto As it w.:,,s pLintcd out oarl:lo:r·, t:,1or0 is fo:rrn:i.da1Jlc cv:i.donco it. support of t}liu finding. ThGrc has boon no serious attempt 1Jy thci I I J:.".}spon<J.ont to cUscrodi t tho voracity of the two wi tnossos who ·wi tncssod tt10 snid. snlo nor hns the autbontic.i ty o:f the 8,110. a grGO me n t 1)0011 put to rationnl Q.Ol'~Jt • The; finding by tL.(J luc.:rncd. appollato Dist:riot M.ngLstrato that tl:Jo s!i.nm'ba in q_uostion wns a clan land hence tlm lo.to f2-thor of' tho roa1>ondont could not bnv0 sold. :i. t is not s1.,i.ppo1,tod. by an;r ovidonco on :rccordo Nobody from tb.c rGfJ))Onclont 1s clun ctx,1c to court to tosti:Cy on tl:ri.s point. 111.ho tr:'-c1 primary couxt was tb:us :-eight in holding tbr.~t tho shnmbn in dispute was soJ.cl. to the ap:p0l1r,11t py tho late f'ntb.;;:r oi' tl.10 I"C.spond.~nt. This a--_pfC:J.1 tbercfor-3 su.cc:Jo'c1.s • 1 1'). lO judgmont of tb.c appullr.tc llist:dct I Co·r1.:rt is s0t asiclc 5-n f.:nrour of the judgmcmt of tho trl2l prim;:;.:ry 1com.-t. Rcspond.011t is co:c,c1omnod .............~ to pny th;.; np:,:iolknt bis costs. ,.._,,