Amsi Ganandi vs Massay Qoda (PC Civil Appeal No. 23 of 1988) [1990] TZHC 410 (28 September 1990)

) IN TII:3 IIIGII COU:1T OF T1iNZ ... lliL. L.T A .. 1USRlu (PC) CIVIL ;::I'J.:.L tTOo 23 OF 1_988 ( ORIGIN.:Ui CIVIL _;.rr::;.:.L NO. 30/87 l3!J3ATI} ,,"SI G·' I ' 11 IDI. .. '. . -;-,..-i--·,-O 1 ·="""i'tn ;..1::.!. .Ll.. -..ll · e o o o o. o o o o o e o· o o e O o-!' o • o • o o •.i:L'..!l:..i.t" J.'IJ.,t;;:,,11·.1,; J; U D G_M E N.T. EoN• NlfflTJ0 2 Jo This is a second e-l)poai" from J3abati District Court Civil Apj;>o2:.l · No. 30 of 1987 o;riginally Daroda Frimacy Court Civil Cae No. 8 of 1907. In the sciid primary, court tho appellant, Amsi N'gadi, the ·original plaintiff ·01d.in0d: 4 head of cat_tlo; 4 go2,ts~ am 5 sheep; total rilucd cl.t shs. A9•000/= which tho :-ccspondoni 1-fassay oda, her dcfond.e.nt ox-huaband, seized from her home on tho 15.7.87 alleging that they wore his yroperty vheroas they bolonged to tho plaintiff being tho gift she goii f:too her parents at tho :.timo of her narriago to tho dcfondanto Tl-:0 :plaintiff lunsi N' gadi testified in the court of first ino-cnnco as Po i. 1. · She deposed that hC.Y- m2,:rria..go to tho · def ondant Massay Qod2, ·-ended.in "divorce. in December 19860 She stated tb,at in-· 1970 her parent_s gave her a ram, a sheep ancl 3 goe,ts as her marital _: gif;t;., )l:'he rar.1 wns exchanged for a bull which was later exchanged for a heifer -Which 0:1;ivcd. lf.9anwhile one of her three goats produced a he. goat which was exch(;ct1. for 2, ;)1)J.l which was in turn exchanged for a heifer. Thereafter tho heifer, sJ1oop and goats ro:.;,roducod thereby constituting the 4 hc2,cl of cattle, 4 go2.ts and 5 shoepin dis:i,)uto. lccording to t:i.-i.e plaintiff t>,o c1ef- ondant r:iovod his avm cattle to sooo othor place leaving the plaintiff's &ranals·-ih tlie :posaoaaion .of t:.,o plaintiff. On tho 17.7.87, seven nontb.s after the partios-divorood, tho plaintiff took her sick child to tho hospital. In her ~bson99. tho defendant raided her place and cot)fiscatod hat' 4 hc,,.d of cattle, 4 goats nnd 5 shoop, tho su1)joct of tho present Caso. Tho seizure was effected in tho presence of SM IV Nade Saqwaro

--· -· ._j. 2 ,.. who w2,s ho:rding the said cattle. Subsequently the plaintiff instituted tho svit to recover hor seized animals, valued at shs. 49,000/=• She enlisted her two brothers sr II Ae N' gaalii nd SN III l3asso Ni gadi to oooborate her evidence. ...t.,_..,, The defendant de,1ied the claim. :::e gave his defence as SU I· adidtting th2,t at the timo of tho ma:eria,ge the plaintiff )ad 2 sheep one of ii .ich duril:]{4' -~~ino to 1 ·1.rr lim,izo r was exohanzed for a .hu.U. }I.e said th2.t he sold tlio bul·tner sta·&ccl t.na"t• h0 excl12-nged tho plaintiff's four goats f6r a heifer l'fhich calved i)tiJ.ls twice, w;_1.iCt'l per tho ag-roemont of sale belonged to the seller one Marcel. The third calf '.'7?uld 1)elong to the plaintiff. The defendant saici. tlmt ho only owed tho plaintiff a heifer. The trial prLnary court entered judgment for the :plaintiff. The defendant appealed to tho District Court which :parti,;.lly reversed the decision of the primary cou:rt thereby ordering the defendant to civo 011.ly ono heifer to the plaintiff instead of all tho animals claimed alle 0 ocUy becaUEO te rest of the aninals woro sold to buy food for'tho iamily. Dissatisfied, tho plai~{i.ff lodged this second appeal sooldng rosto:.Y',tion of tho decision.of tho trial court. Nr. Sang' k.e, learned advocate for tho appellant submitted th,:t tJ1.o appellate Principal District Mcl{;istrato failed in properly consido:ci11t3' and ow,luati:ng t:.10 ovicfonco 2,dducod at tho trial. Ifo art,"Ucd that tho appellate Distrit :·Court OV{!)1t not to· have intorforred with tl10 d0cision of tho t::ial court ;hich d.0t0rminod tho claim with tho assistance of assossc ... ' :le criticised tho District Court for holding th2.t sofilo of tho plaintiff 1 s cattle hccl been sold to get rnonoy for buying food for tho family. Er. 1~usoi, learned, advocate for tho respondent contended th2,t the appellate District Court, boin, 6 tho first appeal court., was legally cmpowerecl to Ii1ak0 its own assessment and oven make findings different frora t:1oso of tho trial cov.rto Ile cited tho case of Rozar VR 1971 rnJJ 11.42 whm:-oin it was hold the:.t tl:o first appeal court h2.s tho right to e,sscss ana_ ow,luato tln evidcmco adduced ·:, : at the trial on merit. IIo arguocl t:..:,,t tho: clocision of the a:;;:,pollato District Court was :well founded boc2-u00 it · faultocl tho assessors opinion which reflected bad lbe,ic to tho ottcct tl12,t ••••••• /3

. j ( I 3 because tho defendant ad.mittGd that ho Qlrod tho plaintiff a heifer, then he was liable to pay tl10 whole claimo The advocate for tho respondent urged tho court to dismiss tJ.10 claim with costso . Tho issue is t10 propriety of tho dccj_sion of the £1:?cliato court vis 2., vi tho decision of tho trial court. Tho trial prim2,ry cotlI't had tho adva.ntac of sitting with assessors, sooiri.g and hoarin, 0 tl10 wi tnossos:i in person., An appeal court docs not 11.avo such ad.vantages so it must be cautious in upsetting findings of fact by · the t:d2.l court,, Tho primary court founiit' tho entire claim go_nuino . althowj.1 the defendant only ad.mi ttod part of tho claim. According ·i;o tho pl2,ii1tiff SM I Amsi U 1 gc-,di ancl her nci3bour cum herdsman SM IV Naclo Saqw2ro tho defendant invaded tho house of ths plaintiff in her absence amd soizod tho animals in dis1,ut0 by throe.tonil1g tho said Nade Saqirc,:ro with 2, swordo That being tho poe;i-ti-OJa, the question of the cattle boin 0 _ sold to buy food or either dying as hold by tho ap:pollato Princip2-l District Hagistratc is fallacious 0 In that rogarcl tho decision of tho primary court was sound i:mcl just<> The c::::;onl has merit() Tho dodsion of J3abati District Court Civil '.:t .. )pocl Ne. 30 of 1987 is hereby quashed and sot aside e.nd- tho a_ccision in . . -Dared.a Primary Court Civil Caso Noo·8 of 1987 accordingly rstorod. The appeal is allowed with costs. It is so Ordered. :So:Ho MUNU09 JULGE. 28/9/ 1990 At Arusha: 28/ 9/ 90 r Appcllantg Mr<> Sang 1 ka for Rosponclont : Mr., Mu.soi for., JU.l:GE. 28/9/1990.