–criticise Opposition for politicising issue

RESIDENTS of Sarah Johanna, East Bank Demerara, have strongly refuted claims by the People’s National Congress Reform-led A Partnership for National Unity (PNC/R-APNU) party that the government is responsible for their forcible removal from the land they were occupying.

This assertion follows an Online statement made by APNU Parliamentarian Sherod Duncan and opposition-aligned media outlets, alleging that the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C)-led administration was employing “brutality” in the eviction of residents.
However, residents have spoken out to clarify the situation, stating that the evictions were not carried out by the government.
During an interview on Community Talk, affected residents highlighted that their removal was a private matter.
Rudolph Rampersaud, one of the displaced residents, stated, “No ministry came to break down anything! Just this man and the police… We wouldn’t lie and say the government came to break down our house; what we were trying to say was, Mr. President, come and help us.”

Another resident, Pamela Sanichra, echoed similar sentiments, saying that the landowner, accompanied by court marshals and a group of masked men, was responsible for the demolishing their homes on Friday.
“It has nothing to do with the government; no government came here to break anything,” added Evelyn Singh, another resident.
In response to the situation, the Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs Kwame McCoy met with the residents over the weekend and cautioned them against being exploited for political gain.
“Don’t let anyone exploit you and your situation for cheap political mileage; don’t let them do that. All of you know why you’re in this situation, and therefore, as a government who is concerned with people and their welfare and development, we are here,” Minister McCoy told the residents.

Minister McCoy noted that they are squatting on a private land and the landowner is looking to evict them.
He assured them that the Ministry of Housing and Water, in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, is working to resolve the issue.
Additionally, efforts are also being made to expedite the application process for those already in the system, and temporary shelters were arranged for displaced residents, while others have opted to stay with family and friends.

Noting that the dismantling complied with a court order obtained by the landowner, he said that the government will continue working to secure permanent housing for the squatters.
“The bailiffs, accompanied by police, came yesterday [Friday], and seven homes were demolished, which affected about 30 persons, including children. The key thing here is to ensure that the children and the adults are being taken care of. We are working to make sure that they can have temporary shelter arrangements,” he told the Department of Public Information (DPI).
Bringing greater context to the issue, Minister McCoy recalled that in 2020 the government, recognising that many of these squatters have been residing in the area for decades, met with them, and sought to provide some relief.
A list of residents was compiled and persons were encouraged to apply for house lots at the Ministry of Housing and Water.

“Those who occupied lands were offered lands in 2021, and we have to look at the list and be able to work with the families here to move into their own homes,” Minister McCoy said.
However, he highlighted that the issue is further complicated by new squatters who were not included on the original list compiled during the government’s visit.

“Some people constructed homes, moved from the area, and are renting to others. The situation is as well, people have moved in here subsequent to that compilation of the families that existed at the time we were here. So, people were added to the squatting situation, so it has complicated the issue,” he explained

“As a government, we are not in any way, shape or form subscribing to the squatting on private property, but the reality is that their situation drove them to do what they did and we have to find a way to help the families get into a place that they can at least minimally call their own,” the minister added.
The minister returned to the area on Sunday to further assist and meet the affected persons.
It is understood that the owner, by transport, was residing overseas, and persons were allowed to squat for nearly two decades unopposed.
The situation was further complicated when a second person, Rafiq Khan, purchased a plot of land adjacent to that area, but faced difficulties in accessing his property due to the unplanned layout of the squatter settlement.

As a result, legal actions were taken by Khan to remove squatters and secure access, which led to the recent evictions.

The Opposition’s attempt to politicise the Sarah Johanna issue seems to be a recurring strategy, drawing parallels to the Hill Foot eviction scenario on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, where similar accusations were levelled against the government by the Opposition to shift blame onto the government for legal actions initiated by private citizens.
The government’s consistent stance remains that it does not condone illegal squatting, and will uphold the Rule of Law while offering assistance to affected citizens within legal frameworks.