NASSAU, BAHAMAS — National Security Minister Wayne Munroe said the Ministry of Works will seek to destroy buildings in shanty towns that are not covered by a 2018 Supreme Court injunction prohibiting such action.
Munroe was responding to a question about critics who contrast the government’s aggressive action against crown land squatters in western New Providence with its posture toward shanty town occupants.
The Minnis administration’s aggressive action to demolish shanty towns throughout the country hit a wall when Supreme Court Justice Cheryl Grant-Thompson granted an injunction against such action in August 2018. The completion of that matter is pending.
In April, Works Minister Alfred Sears said he was awaiting a report on unauthorized building on public land in Abaco as cabinet determines its next steps on shanty towns.
Munroe’s comments are the first hint at what course of action the Davis administration will take.
Meanwhile, he reiterated that the 14-day countdown is on for crown land squatters to leave deforested land in the Carmichael Road area where more than 500 acres of protected trees have been illegally cleared.
“Crown land belongs to the government,” he said. “Private land belongs to private homeowners. If you permit people to squat on your property after 12 years they will own it. That’s what the laws of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas says. Shantytowns as I’m made to understand are on lease land of private owners.
“The issue that the government has with shanty towns is illegal buildings contrary to relevant laws. The Ministry of Works has gone to demolish properties. There was an injunction in place. My understanding is that the Ministry of Works will continue seeking to demolish all illegally build properties that are not the subject of the injunction. But we don’t own privately owned land.
“The people do own crown land and as we are instructed we will not permit people to squat on public land. For public land, you have to squat for 60 years or 30 years from 1997 which hasn’t come around yet so it will be important for us to protect the property of the Bahamian people.”
During a tour of the Carmichael Road area last week, reporters encountered families living in the remote area, including two in school busses and another in a trailer.
Munroe said the Ministry of Social Services has been contacted to help the family. However, he said, the group must want and accept assistance for they will not be exempted from the government’s clampdown.
“I’ve already advised social services of them. It will be of them to seek social services assistance. You cannot force people to get help. It will be available. If they take it up, they take it up. If they do not take it up, they will not take it up but they like all other persons trespassing will have to move,” he said.
“It just amazes me that you can have people who would even think it sounds sensible to say that you can just go out and occupy what you like,” he added. “Could you imagine if 400k people decided that they were going to occupy one acre of land in New Providence? It is just nonsense and we will not permit it to continue.”
“The Royal Bahamas Defence Force would’ve been the agency that did the initial surveillance. They will be the agency that will be drawing up the plan to bring about the government’s desire. There are a number of sites that were the subject of intelligence, another two sites in New Providence, sites in Andros, Abaco and Grand Bahama. I’ll await advice from the professionals as to how we execute, when we execute but it would be wise for people not to be there when we come to execute.”
Asked about the government moving to demolish shanty town buildings that are not covered by the Supreme Court injunction, Attorney General Ryan Pinder said yesterday: “Whatever action will be taken will be consistent with any court rulings.”
