Robert Masunga vs Mwandu Shotto (PC Criminal Appeal No 8 of 1997) [1998] TZHC 2426 (3 December 1998)

IN TBE HIGH COURT OF TANZA.HIA AT TABORA -----. .. * '-=-' APPELLATE JURISDICTIO!-l" ( PC ) CR IIHl'IAL APPEAL NO : . 8 OF 1 997 OHIGTITAL I-il-JANHUHZI P/COURT. CRIMINAL .CASE NO. 41 OF 1996 IvK!ATU CRIMINAL APPEAL NO• 24/96. OF T:JI: DISTRICT ·COURT OF MEATU DISTRICT AT MEATU ---~~ ......... Before: R NASIGE •• Esq• DISTRICT l'.IAGISTRATE ROBERT MAS llifGA •••••••••••••••••••• APPELLANT Versus HWANDU SH0TT0 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • · RESPONDENT . \ The o.ppollnnt o.nd the respondent sent ea.ch other to tho primary Court of Kimo.li, in. N:entu District, Shin,nngo. Region. The respondent wo.s charged with criminnl ·trespass and obstructing cattle c/s 299 of tho .. pena.1 code·. It wns snid tho.t the respondent, !~~1 e ... ?2'!£, o.lio.s ~:12riAu __ ~,otJ2. hnd tre.:spo.ssed into the. lo.11 _of Robert Mnsungn, and hnd cut down·some fifteen trees. The respondent wds acquitted. The appellant appenlcd to tbc District Court of Meatu. Here, again, ho bus . lost the co.se. Mr. Nn.sige DM has dismissed his appeal• The uppella.nt Hobert r:bsungn., now appeals to this Ea.ch :pa.rty, I soc here, ha.s o.sso.r-tod that the ln.nd in .dispute, and indeed the trees, a.re hj_s. Eqch, in· sr.1.0rt., ho.s a bona. fide claim to. the nren.. :m other words,

2 here, the issue is ownership~. Whose land is this? fiior··-no- one co.n trespns_sL~ into his own lo.nd., So., the learned o.ppellato nfagistto.te was right when he snid: irit·-o..ppc_l?-rs that the tria.l Qourt could not properly direct_itself., unless it wo.s ma.de clear who was the owner of the said shamba. After all, tne evidence . . revolves on ownership of lo.nd, a.nd therefore one cannot be condemned on something which its owner has not been established. Then tho appellant wo.s supposed to bring about a suit over the land to esta.bli$h ownership __ a. That is a.bsolutel-y correct: '.J;'his Q_ourt has held., in the case of Kibwano. Mohamed v. R "{'19sQ] T.L.R •. 312 ,, ....-,;.-- ..... ~ .... ,·-.~--..:&...~~ Nuza.va.s J, that: 11 When in a co.se of criminal trespass a dispμte a.rises to the ownership of the land, the Court should advise the compla.ino.nt to file a civil suit to determine the question of ownership.n The parties a.re advised to go to a civil Court to ba.ttle out the issue of ownership •. This appeal is dismissed in its entirety. At.Tabora 3rd December 1998 WJ2.1...t.;, present in person

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