The Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) of Mocha/Arcadia on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) has allegedly demolished several structures and damaged properties belonging to squatters residing in the informal settlements.
During a Facebook live that went viral on Saturday, residents can be seen picking up what’s left including garments and furnishing while others were seen assembling wood from the land they were occupying.
On the same live broadcast, individuals who seemed furious at the time shared their disappointment with the way in which the NDC handled the matter, noting that the authority had threatened to remove them on several occasions despite not having the legal power to do so.
“The NDC came in with two other guys and said that they want the place for commercial space and we are not supposed to be building and all of that. So, I say man that our structure is up, why you didn’t tell us personally cause then I would understand. Low and behold he start asking us if Miss Bob selling land and we told him we does just pay 300 for the maintenance of the place and we don’t know about no selling of land. The next morning, he came down and broke down the whole thing, split up the wood, the zinc them disappear and all of that,” Michelle (only name given) shared.
April (only name given) stated “we came at the back here since 2022. We clean, myself and some other family, we started to build because I needed a place urgently. We living here before the road build never see those people, suddenly we went to buy the materials to do that bridge in front there and my son call me and say the NDC said we cannot build here and it illegal to build here because they clean it up for commercial use. They also told him that he had to go into the NDC for the land but they can come and destroy other people’s things for their use.”
Meanwhile another person who lives in the areas stated, “they said their coming at Forth Field as well and I am living at Forth Field, I have kids and I would like to know what will happen cause we in here since 2015 and never see the NDC. We got livestock, plants and there are single parents here at the back,”
NDC condemned
The Housing and Water Ministry’s Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) has since condemned the acts of the NDC amid receiving reports “that plots of land within the informal settlement are being sold/allocated by operatives of the Mocha/Arcadia NDC and opposition elements.”
In a public statement, the CH&PA shared that it has been actively working to regularise the informal settlement in Mocha/ Arcadia and made it unequivocally clear that the NDC’s actions are illegal.
“The Ministry of Housing and Water/CH&PA will not recognise any sale or transfer of these lands by unauthorised individuals or entities. We hereby issue a formal warning to those engaged in the illegal sale of these lands to immediately cease such activities. Likewise, persons attempting to purchase these lands are cautioned that any such transactions will be deemed null and void”.
In November 2022, CH&PA conducted a comprehensive inventory, identifying over 300 occupied and unoccupied structures.
In 2023, residents also met with Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal and Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Sonia Parag, who was Public Service Minister at the time.
According to the Ministry, the land in question is under the jurisdiction of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), and CH&PA has been engaging with NICIL to facilitate the transfer of this land.
In fact, the block plan for three parcels of land is being prepared and is in the transfer process. This is a critical step in the regularisation process, which will enable residents to obtain legal ownership of the land.
Meanwhile, the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry, in a statement of its own on Saturday also warned residents to desist from participating in the illegal sale or leasing of land, making it clear that there will be legal consequences.
“Those found engaging in or attempting to purchase lands through these illegal means are warned that they will be subject to legal consequences,” the Ministry said.
They also called on the Mocha/Arcadia NDC and all other NDCs, to desist from such practices. Moreover, they urged members of the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activities when it comes to the sale of state land.
According to the Ministry on the 9th of September, 2024, a cease order was issued to all NDCs and RDCs explicitly prohibiting “the rental, sale, alienation, encumbrance, or lease of State/Government land, or any land where the Government has a controlling interest”, without the authorisation of the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development as stipulated in the Local Government Act Cap. 28:02 of the Laws of Guyana.
