Talking ‘land grabs’ is talking politics: land as politicised rhetoric during Tanzania’s 2015 elections

During Tanzania’s 2015 general elections, large-scale acquisitions of land by foreigners featured among the electoral topics addressed by political candidates of both the ruling party and the opposition. When Tanzanian politicians talked about ‘land grabs’, they were referring to an issue constructed mainly by various international organisations and actors, focusing on how foreign companies acquire large tracts of farmland in developing countries where land is supposedly abundant and idle. In keeping with a trend that first emerged in parliamentary sessions in 2010, politicians used the expression ‘land grab’ as a rhetorical device to lash out at broader issues of national concern: corruption and the legitimacy of foreign involvement in the economy. Both topics have long been part of the national political debate and have shaped electoral competition in Tanzania since the transition to multi-party politics.