19940531 TZHC Dar es Salaam 1
The sale of family land by one brother without the knowledge or consent of other family members is invalid. The trial court's decision to restore the appellant's claim is correct as the evidence did not establish the applicability of customary law, and the sale was not properly authorized.
Source-derived case information.
- Citation
- 19940531 TZHC Dar es Salaam 1
- Parties
- Appellant: Lugendo Mwakambeya; Respondent: Swedi Mlelimoto
- Court
- TZHC
- Jurisdiction
- Tanzania
- Judgment Date
- 31 May 1994
- Procedural Posture
- Civil Appeal / Final Appellate Judgment
- Outcome
- appeal allowed
- Legal Topics
- Sale of Land, Customary Law, Capacity to Sell, Invalid Sale
- Source Language
- en
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Lugendo Mwakambeya
Appellant
Swedi Mlelimoto
Respondent
Procedural Posture
Civil Appeal / Final Appellate Judgment
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether the sale of family land by a brother without the knowledge or consent of other family members is valid
- 2 Whether customary law principles apply to the sale in question
Ratio Decidendi
The sale of family land by one brother without the knowledge or consent of other family members is invalid. The trial court's decision to restore the appellant's claim is correct as the evidence did not establish the applicability of customary law, and the sale was not properly authorized.
Court Disposition
appeal allowed
Orders
- Decision of the appellate District Court set aside
- Decision of the trial Primary Court restored
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
1 paragraphs
:• -11 . .,n .,;. • ... ~1dl1/rtvi .· fl/c.~ :Cf TTIE BI t'!I COURT. OF T.!IJ':ZluIT.A .4Lb ~-g~~! ... r. .··." • \ PC. cr;;n, ,t',:PP::]AJ~HO~ 1 -;o OF' 1993 i'' ~. i. ': ' - '·~ • 1.rerou: l:•t:· _,cs.t:.' a.i.'o :rosi< :mt at Kirlatu villc.1,:.:,01 in IG.lombero C'•A ·: l.\: 1· . .:iul.J',1992, John r,1wa.k~b·2,ya tllo young brothe'# of LU{;'GndO Mwa.l.c...1mba,ya 1 the a:ppoll2nt, a_7l)roachcd fa·redi l:il.ca.liri1oto offerrinc to ooll to ·!i:.10 latter c.no ao:rc of fe.l'mlando Swodi filcz.J.imoto, t:.io ll:Pj>ellant,. aoce,,- ptoc.l tho off )r a.nc1 i.nt:i.mo.t8d tb.at they ,iiniJc t;10 :pa:.."Ccl of land in qu.ontion. Thia hn.v.L.'18 _b')on don0 110eoiiJ.at~~~ 1ror0 conduc\ea Md tho• two a..3['00.d at a r;D...1c ;;rico of ohs. 20,000/=, Tho s_alo iraa l'Ti"ltnoof;od by tha looP.l. coll le •.dor.? j"oh:. KilcJ16avu.na. (:DrT 2) and wcvaraJ. of their 11cic-,;.bours, · na;:noly, OIC-1.ri ~fatGlombub::·., (:nvr 3). 1l1ho ae..1.o D.[;l:'oomont wan reduced in:lio Wl'-iting a.ua. "tl:-::,t u.ooumor,t ur:..O tondGrod in oou.i.-.-\i M ecidono.o. 011 the 15th JvJ.3r,1992, a dny ttl'ter tho Gcle a:3".1."oomont had boon ~~ uclcd, ·Gho ai_.;_ ollant mot t:,.c rccpondcnt ru1d. tn1o!'i!lqd. him iJ;i.a~ his broi:.1or had solcl 0.11 a.ore of :fn.rLil.a.n<l to him" ill tho oou~~o of' thoiI• dir:;ouocio:1 tab.a ronpo..10.0i.rt .inf'o:rmo" -t;~}.o 2.:;?liOllnn,.. .,,: t:1t,t he :.1;:~u.. not boon. i.µfo:i.'lilOd pf t11nt · 11:,.,nd cliopod t :ton. r:;:i·•.c l"OSr>onckmt ~d.clcc1., hm~2;v-or, that he hc.,d aold. his Oim sh2.m.ba to ono ~i..:...'1Ju Sc.mto. ·110n a.c:;kcd by tllo sooonci DDSOBGOr tho ,,, a.:ppoll::i.n:t tolcl the triul court :f'ul:.-thor t:b.at c.pa..:d from the llhs,ttba sold.by John, his brother, t::oro 11as o.nothor of thoi.r ob.c.nibaz 1rb.ich w3e3 sold· to on(,l° Mb.ru1f;U.. ~ho :res:~ndoi'1t clicl. not t2ko kindly to th~.s · t»qj,1.0~tion, ' . ;.,·,. . ol.$ning that Johll 112.d sold tb.oir fat1'.01.. ts ShcUnba without tho l'tittar'a · · C0!lf.lo1-rt. After. oonaidorinG cll t~~-o_ o-r1.dcnco tho trial PriJ:n·cy Court ~ u s l y d.i&- . Tl.10 appal! ::,,tri j)fatriot Court was ov.ti::::i'iad that thQ orcd.ibilit:, of .. uitnoo:.;oo UM 2..bc.r:;-0 cw:i:1ccion. Tllo District Cowt f\lrthc:i;' found.· oo a fact that tho :-.~or.-;:i)oncl..o.i."lt_ ".1cfo:·.'c ~-~:i.n ~-.ad bou;:1t tJ:w 1::-.ru.l. from tho youpg bro-liho:..· of the a.p:pcll ant ., t, ••• 0 ./2. 2 In 2:pite· of t:1or;.o tincl:\.11~;:3 tl1e learned 2:;:,:-0olli~no Di::ltrict f.1,.'.11?,':i.strat·e ,. . ·.~ co11f m1Hc·cl th2.,t i;;J.G lf'.J:l(l cli.:.,,)OC:itioh·.,:·ich ... . ':." ._ ~ him 2,-b r•, croos:roao.zo .~ For he does., not digcoYor :r:rom tho · ovic].e~ioo w!:d6h l::,w f;OV'oI';:iocl tho C;clo to confer . ..,.,, . -~;7.. Tho_ 1 o<.\X'nod Dir.;trict r-.fo..~;irJtr2..t J bn,sccl. }lio dooirJ:i.oi1 on -~~!!~QJ~~~!..Y~ · ·· .J .f!1;J)~H~~-};f~abl~ ( 19.:: 7) :.~Cj). m.,.. 231 whore it u.:u:i :201 1 t;.1at 1 if a perr:~on ool.oc 12.li(l to o.not:).Qj.:' u::o io ,1ot [', fJOlilbcr of tI.10 cl:a-n;:Jithout :ln'.formii1s his$ ·b}J.o :-cl8,'i:;lv0 □ rolat:i:;ron/r,'IDJ' r uo tl:.o vo:1'1.m:- ··;o inv;:i_J_id.ato t).10 r.:r:ilo. It is q_uito obvious '--·. ,;...J The vendor · wa.':l Jo;.-111 Hm:-.karJbay::i wl.io cvj· ~ to ;~('.VO boon cnotl i:i: t).:i.o cuntor:ia.riJ la.i'T ap].)liot.1. in t;.:at oe.zb i-rD..,".i ,:i.l.oo a::;,plicablc to t::.u ?.:-:.otr.: in tllis al)~oa.1.; · It ou.t1.t to ha,vo boon a.;.1 c.ct::.on botuoon tho prosont :z-1.Jl"'.:· ~;·: - ·-·.t... rooi)Qlldoi?,t ancl tho ·v-,:mdor, J'ohn r1,;wJ.:cr:1b8_JT2..a m,iViasso,ti, Lo2.:r11.,,ll couns0.l for tao n.ppo,-; llant, 0011to11d.o t)at tho loo.rno...l. 'f:.ln.gist;l'ato cr:roc. ·ir:1011 Jio· ba;;icd. hfo ~ud;jnont. on tho car:10 abovo o itod. bc:cr.,1.,1.:Jo it r·olatoG to II2,3,~, cuatol!lDry lo.lr ;;J.iJ.ch ia not <1;:::ilicablc llorc.. I ar;ccc; in fact ovi0..onco ·;:)).ich was ad.c1:ucccl. bofo-" ro tho tr•ial court clicl :.1ot :rbln.to to a1zy- cU'Jtom..:--,__i.":r lr,u. It ·c~>nC'UI'l1od .Jol...11 1-foalcr:imbeya af3 0, J?O'.i:'f}OJ.1 C::'LrJ:vosing of hie J?:::'Oj:,o:cty • 'No cuotori1c"U'y J.aw •-~~"' '"':.i--.1 4 c·,rl... "·11cr" n ~ "·•"'J;J..V.•..;; - ~• ....~ In tho msul t t:10 a::?}Joru. is r.J.lm,cc.1o Tl:,o d.coision of tho appoallato District Court is not o.oi1lo 2.,.11:l t:'1d of t;:i.o. tricl PriiltUTJ Court is roatoroct. Tho D.J.li,?Ollanf r.J.lall l::.n:vo :. ,jJ.1 cor.:1ts hero r.incl. in t;::..o tuo cou...""'ts below. 0 Tho Distwt Court cilcll iJU~_';:.J.y c. 001,y of thiu juc'!. c;oc::i.t to tllc rospo11c.lcnt. . ' DoJ.i-v-orod• '\l: ·Mi-. ¥~sa-ti, Ad.vooato/, For A:ppolla.nt Mr. Ue.aba;!.i, Absent 1 For Ro□ po:1<.lont • . I