Attempting to free up valuable government-owned property to be used for future housing projects, Ministry of Housing officials on Monday demolished several houses, which were occupied by squatters in the area soon to be known as phase two of Carmichael Gardens, located off Carmichael Road.
The squatters were not too happy about the move.
Soon after the heavy machinery arrived to mow down the shacks, angry residents, many of them Haitians, began hurling missiles from the bushes at a contingent of government officials and members of the media.
At the end of the process, three structures were demolished.
As Minister of Housing and National Insurance Shane Gibson and his team went farther into the bushes, they also discovered what appeared to be a makeshift poultry slaughterhouse.
Scores of chickens and a bed were discovered in what appeared to be someone’s home.
According to Minister Gibson, these types of villages are not uncommon. He said that it is very important to reclaim valuable Bahamian owned property.
“For the most part these persons are working. It’s just a matter of them being able to get away with squatting on land,” Minister Gibson said. “Nobody was persistent, and most of them can afford to buy land.
“They were living on land for free for the most part. In some cases, they were paying minimum lease to Bahamians to lease land that does not belong to them.
“So these persons really should have a substantial amount of money saved up. If they were able to take advantage of the system, and nobody ever challenged it then they would continue to do so. That is why it is so important for us to take back what really belongs to the Bahamian people.”
The government intends to use 150 acres of land off Carmichael Road for phase two of Carmichael Gardens. Minister Gibson said that just fewer than 150 squatters are likely to be displaced by this demolition exercise.
Resident squatters like, Ghislaine Daniel, who said she has squatted on that property for five years, also said that she and her family would simply move to another deserted parcel of land.
“Four daughters, two sons, and three grandchildren live with me,” Mrs. Daniel said. “I lived here since 2000, but moved to Nassau in 1981.
“[I’m] going to get a next place. Only one thing, I saw the tractor coming and want you to give me a chance to move the plywood, because that is new plywood, and I want to get that out please.”
Delry Mesidor, another squatter, said that he now has no place for his family to reside.
“It is just me and my wife and one child,” Mr. Mesidor said. “I have no place to go, but I am not worried about me only. [There’s] my wife and child. I only work one or two days. [It is] not enough.”
The demolition is expected to continue throughout the week.
By: Perez Clark, The Bahama Journal
