Ramadhani Selemani vs Omary Alimasi Ngaya ((PC) Civil Appeal No. 6 of 1991) [1991] TZHC 2398 (1 August 1991)

IN THE HIGH COURT OF 'I!JJZ .. iliill. ;\T ,3INGID:1. (PC) CIVIL lPK'JJ NQ.6 OF 1991 FUOM l1IIB DECI,JION OF TBE DidTUCT COUit'r OF DINGID:l A'r SNGIDA IN CIVIL APPE1Ui NO. 32 OF 1990. ORIGIN/i.L ILO}JGEUO PIUM!.RY COURT CIVIL CAi3E NO. 70/90. Ri:JJLillIUNI SELEM.ii.NI• • •••••••••• •· • • ••••• , •. :i.?PELL/.LNT VER:3US OM.i.illY 1i.LIM.:8I NGAYA. ~ ••••••••••••••••••• RE::;?ONDE1TT J U D G M E N T The o..:._:iJelb.nt. R.1.r.ui::lhn.ni s/o ;Jel0:Jc.11i WCl.13 :.:ia.rtly succcsoful in the suit he filed at Ilonccro ?riuC1.ry Court in Sin[icla. DiDtrict, nco.inst the rea:..,onclent Qna.ry · ;UL.1n..si NcC1.y:i.. Ifo ·hr1::l n.J;.Jlic:J. t0 :)c declared the lawful owner of a. Jiccc of lcmJ in tlisutc '.1.!1 o..lao clo.inocl shs.45,460/= o.s <.ln;:ui:;es for tho out:;nr-c::meo nncl .. :miono th:it I wore c1cstrJyec'. .m th::it sho.:::bn ;:;y the roG:J,:m,:'.cnt. The tric.l ccurt clecla.rccl the o.:Jiclbnt to :)o th0 lawful owner of the l::nr.J. in uis.L;uto, but thci.t C0Urt cloclinod. to a.ward Jci:Jo.,L;crn which the o.Jpellnnt cln.i:".1ccl on the er .:.iund. t:.1c.t ho hac. not )roveJ. th::i,t ony su 0 o.cLineo. o..nd 0nionc hrvl beon clcotroyeJ )Y tho r0 □ J.:m'.:"'.cnt • Both :;)o..rtL.Js a.i;l;O:w.od to Sinci1a. District Court. It w::i.s tho ros,J.:m:J.ont wh-; first n.j):)o:JJ.od to .Sin:;icb Di,:,trict 'rhon there f ollowocl the O.]..lj_)Cllont who filcf1 his i".lG!:1oron(1un of a.l.1:)01.l f 0r the cross-:i.l.;pohl, but (1uo to tho ic;nornnco of tl10 court-clerks o.t tho rcGistry, they rcfuoo:l to ::,,ccc:;:,t filinc f cos fr~~u the o.l.;:;)ollo.nt ·.:m thu er .,unJ. thn.t tho rcG:.;0n,}ont h:1c.1 alrca.c1y filoc1. on D.J.,cnl • Th::-.t w:::i. □ .)1Jviouoly wr.:me. Both :,,;c..rtics h::u the ri(;ht of D..J.JO:JJ. • a.s 0f richt, and oo oh-.:,ulcl h.::i.vo "boon o.llowod to Jay the filin3 f cos a.s roqucstoc: This error clid n,:.it occci.sion c.ny niscci,rria.::,;c ·.of justico, n.o I n-Jtc tlnt Cl.l;pell:::mt w:;,o l)Tj)orly hc::1.rJ. by the lcc;,rnoc.l Diutrict M1,cistrC1,te. Tho Di.strict Court ond·::irscJ. tl10 juclr_J.1,.mt o.f tho tri::-..1 c,Jurt in toto auch tlw,t x>th tho :1l)i;0.:u e1.r1<l the cruso-::i.;_.rpc::w. wore f _.unc.1- to be wi th,)Ut neri t; Howcv0r ::it tho en:. .:if the juc:.c;.1-:mt the leo..mol "District Ma.·;istr:i.te inot<x1: of wri tine th'."'..t he w'.,o c.lioniosine b-Jth tho a.-'liO::W. :mcl tho crosG n~,Joecl hJ wrote ' I allow tho a.Jj)oru with co □ ts nr;a.inst co.ch ·,l::1.rty'. ... /2

2 I!1 tho boJ.y 0f hio ju~ 1 .o:1:.mt ho :icrooc.l with tho tri2.l c•,urt t:.L,t tho l . .nd. · in ,J.io~;uto 1J'ol:::in::s to thv :::i,ppcll,:mt. mcl th;i.t :th9 trio.l. court w-1.G rLht to' (.iSL'lios tho clo..in for ·:i 1 ::1F" ... ,,. th""y worc·n·'t )r.ovc,.1 • ....., '-• ·· ,.J..;I~ -..;,U ;. .r ..I .._ Th:.t b-::inc the case, I t:.tlcc it (:ml 1),Jth ;,10.tics 2-cro,xl with no at tho hon.rin of ·tho a:;9ocil) that wh0n ,tho lo:.:.rnoLl Distr;ict ·Mn.::;iotrate wr0to th:it ho allowo:1 the a,),:;o..i it wno o., di:) of tho J;)Cn, wh::i.t -he r..w:mt ws tlnt ·b0th the O.Vi)Co.l o.m1 croos-.:i.·,;pcal wore cliOLusoccl .with C )3ts. To whQD .7..-JGS thG l.c1 in c.lis;iute bolJnc? The roD:.,on1ont_ a.rcd with r:ruch force ci..t tho h0c:.rine:; Qf. th0 ·o..i;)OQ.l th::-.t tho l:,ml · in c1isLJu.te . . bol0ncs to hiD which ho inhorit·:x1 frur.1 hio duc0;i.soc.1 f . ...,thor ·who clic('.: in 1978. · •But tho.,t is untenable boca.uoo there i □ n0 cvir.1..Jncc in roc.)rQ to tho.t effect• ,Ul wh:i.t the ros:Jomlont statc-l at tho tri:71. wets to tho effect tha.t in 1984 he lent tho. az)cll::mt tho c.1.is:.,;utqd ohGnbo. one: th:1t lo.tor in 1987 ho lont tho so.r.10 sh.:::ibo. to MmbciJ.mri Aboic~ who is tho s.m of the o.. .. ,)ollo.nt 1 s_ alc.lor brother. His two witncqscs ' . . - .Aboid s/o Su.lciua.n (D·!.2) Cl.Ild Mo.i:uii'lti. s/o ;Uly (D 1 ·1.3) cci.vc ovL:cnco t0 the oinilo..r off oct O • Thur;.; w;;-,.a n~ l.1ontL,n wha.t sov0r by :the rcs:cj,.mclunt , a.ncl his wi tncssos as io how tho scic.l rC3),m::,mt cm10 tc; own tho..t :i_Ji2co of l.:i.ncl. Tho arc:unJnt ho :)ror:wntqc1 in this cc:,urt tho.,t ho inhori tcd that piece of lc.ncl. fror..i· llin .fothor, O..J_ ... ,oo.rs t,.) r.10 t0· lie en o..ftorth.:iucht. On tho other honcl tho evi<.lonco of the a))Cll::1.nt ,::incl s wi tnciasos o..J:)oCLrcl i)r8x1bl9 ;i.n,l c---:,nvincinc, .Tho. witnossos Sa.id o/o Mu 0huna,(P-1.2)' onc.1 his wife Tatu c1/o II:1s:::ii(PH,3) mcl O.::t.icl tr.'.'..t th: 1.:mcl· in lliSJute wo..s clan l::n(l which P-J • 2 inhori tocl fron ··1:rls• fa.thcro · ,\nc.1 they :i.1Go s2.icl th2.t they lont th-:i,t l::m:l · t,J a))Olli.nt in 1981 L:r tOL1:i,)0J;'O.ry uoc. ' iin.cl a)pcll:int ·s:u.cl th:1-t ho ·uso<.1-tl'l.t lr:ml for 's:);:1ctino .:incl in 1983 ho lont it to the son of his ol:lcr br0thcr ,'l.bubo2.mri s/o .Abcicl. On tho cvi:loncc en rcc,...,r~l- I q,;oc with buth cdurt:J 1)olow, tho,t tho o..:,:)ollo.nt wo onti tlod tu ::-rJsso_rn::ion of tho 1-:nl'. ~n c1.is.~iutc. His .'.1ccount w::1s LJ,Jrc ~>r)bo..blo thc..n tl1...:.t of the rur:,;:_.;::in.l5mto · ••• /3

3 . • I tl1inc it is still oi)Ol1 f Jr the rv.Jj_Km'lont to ;:iuc 82.i(l n/o Mw:;huno,(PW.2) bout that l.::nc1. in :1.io:;_iuto so that the c-::iurt n:i.y c1.ctor.:tlnc as to who ::inonc; tho two m•ms th::it :)iocc of l:mcl. It will not bo res juc1ic::i.tn. bcc::.usc the. ,.,.'.'..rlics in that c::.Go will bo <lifforont fr0D the p:irti.;s in this ca.so. 1..11 wh.".t lns boon ·:locidcd in thio O0,oe is thn.t O..::;:olb.nt. w 1 ,s lawfully uoinG th::i.t pivco of lontlf ::i.o ho h;'.l on h.:,noot belief ( which c-.:iulcl be nist-.con bdiof) th:1.t 3d.icl o/o }'Iue:;hun:i(PU. 2). h:ic1. the riht to loncl hin th0 uco of thJ.t lr.mcl. As' roe;ci,rc.ls cXJj_;onciation for tho clostrQyoc1. ouc:1r-cahos vnd onions, I on of tho cDhsL1oro,J. view th:1t h:,th court □ 1.:)cl...;w c:Jno .. to the correct c,;,nclusion~ Thvro w;:i,o CoL:;orit ovi·.1ence ;:i,:l:lucc1 c.t tho. tri:::J. to tho off 0ct thn.t it wrs .Abub.:::.lc:1.ri•· s/o ;i.bciu who b,c.c1 ln.st uoo,.l th:1t j_)iCcc of 1-'.1.nd:·nncl thct.t he. h.:i:nr.esterl the. SUG:J.r""'C,'.ll'WG .1cl_ the e:nions. . . . It WQ,'G 'Abub:ur-i s/u AbUid WilO.: qut th9. sc.::i..r:-.c:mo Q.UG. Uj_)r:)Otoc: the onions. '.rho Bw:mo. Bhunba. on,1 the five Ll1JL1bcrs of tho Pr-x1uctijn • Ca:·i:·.utt,)o of .ho .villaco CT-wcm,Jont who visitc:1 tho Llis:;utoc1 shx:1b::i. were n.iolcu in think.inr; th:1t it W:,13 tho ros.1Uh:orit Wh(.) h1.d hn.rv0otct:. tho .crj 1 ). ·rhcrcf,)ro thow;h I acr,)~ ·wi.th th0ir ro.:.,orl th1..t thoy {;uncl the su{p.r-c.:mos .cut n.n.J 0ni0ns u:...ir-.ivtuu, ·it io Dy finl:inc tll:it it was il.;)ub:J.1.::1ri s/o /1.boid who cliJ. so when h:1.rvostinc his cr-..1:.;i.· 'In the cv..:::1t ~ --:.;.,.; : .. ~~; . .:;:'..l ia :1llOWo(1. Tho ju.lcn-:mtG of tho two courto b0low a.r~ on~'..Jrcoc1 tho.t :::,.:;)ollc:.nt, :it loc1.13t f;.;,r tho ti1.10 ' b~iiic, is ~fie 16.wful owner vf tho l::n:.1 in tlisjuto, 1Jut th,:,.,t h0 in n-t crititl0cl to C'.Ji'.Ij_)Ons:1tic:,n f..)r the SUG'.l.r-ctmes .w:J. oni.:.,ns -th,:,,t h.1,c1 boon h;:i,rvJstocl fr:·,D that l:m<.l. ]!Jo.ch :,::i.rty will b;:;n.r it?· 0. c,Jotc: •;f this n,.,.;~Jo::i.l. Or-1ur ;:i,cc;r.lin:;ly. fl..__ f '• I .,,.,, .•.. ,:,---------,.\ M' 1 .(:LUS.: .. NYl:. JVDGE, .. 1.s.19.91