Cattle Grazing Ordinance Cap. 155 and the Range Development Management Act, Cap. 569.

Cattle grazing may severely degrade the environment, if practiced in an unsustainable fashion. Cattle grazing may have heavy impacts depending upon numbers of heads, the type of environment being used, seasonal variations, etc. The government has attempted to regulate these problems through the enactment of the Cattle Grazing Ordinance and the Range Development Management Act.

The Cattle Grazing Ordinance establishes a grazing permit structure (generally for sheep and goats only, though the Minister may declare it applicable for any livestock) on those areas of the public lands to which the Ordinance applies, as declared by the Minister for Agriculture. Within such areas, grazing permits are required except in those areas exempted by the Native Authorities Ordinance.¹

Certain areas within the "Declared Areas" may be further reserved for dairy herds and tradestock only, and require further permits for those activities. The following types of grazing permits therefore exist:

• Itinerant Grazing Permit
• Dairy Herd Grazing Permit
• Trade Stock Grazing Permit²

All permits are to contain requirements as to the number of cattle, conditions of grazing and dates applicable. Within areas reserved for tradestock and dairy herds, authority is given to certain government officers to regulate building of houses, cultivation of crops, burning of grass, etc. Cattle may be impounded if the owner is thought to be in violation of the Ordinance. Penalties for violations of the Ordinance are up to 1,000/= or six months imprisonment. The Minister is empowered to make rules for implementation of the Ordinance.

The Ordinance applies only to those areas declared in GN 50 of 1966. In addition, specific rules were established for permitting in those areas in GN 138 of 1970. Businesses in the livestock industry should follow these rules or be subject to prosecution for violation of the Ordinance.

The Range Development Management Act establishes a mechanism for managing natural resource use, including livestock management, on declared "rangeland development areas" (RDAs). The Act permits the Minister responsible for animal husbandry to declare RDA's and to establish Range Development Commissions (RDCs) for each area. RDCs manage the declared areas by issuing entry permits, certificates of residence, etc., and making orders for "conservation of soil erosion, or otherwise for rehabilitation of land in an RDA" or any part thereof.

In addition to its general duties, the Commissions may regulate uses of agricultural land in RDAs, including:

Use of agricultural implements, the removal, dipping, inoculation, injection, branding or marking of stock and other domestic animals, methods of cultivation of agricultural lands(section (9)(1)).

The Commissions may also "close" areas which are or may be despoilt. The Commission is given general authority to take mitigative and rehabilitative actions for soil erosion, water source protection and cultivation generally.

Ranchland Associations (RAs) are also given authority to issue rules for management of natural resources in Ranchlands, including regulations for "dipping and marking of stock," control of agricultural methods and protection of water sources (§38).

To date, only one Range Development Commission has been established: The Masailand Range Development Commission (GN190/66). In addition, Range Development and Management Areas have been declared for Dodoma, Kahama, Maswa, Mpwapwa, Nzega, Shinyanga (GN 24/68.) Also, rules and regulations exist for formation of RAs and establishment of rangelands.

Basically, it appears that this Act is not much implemented in practice, and would only affect the business sector in the above-mentioned areas.

1. This Ordinance is since repealed, but some of its subsidiary legislation was saved. The Commission is given general authority to take.
2. GN 177 of 1955.