Gov’t displaced Mocha residents last year, now allocates lands to others in same vicinity-Opposition

By Mark DaCosta- In a detailed critique, the Opposition, A Partnership For National Unity and Alliance For Change(APNU+AFC)  has accused the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government of engaging in discriminatory practices and politically motivated actions that they claim are deepening ethnic divisions and undermining democratic governance in Guyana. These allegations centre on recent events in Cane View, Mocha, East Bank Demerara.

The situation at Cane View, Mocha, has sparked significant outrage from the opposition, who allege that the government’s actions amount to racial discrimination and political vindictiveness. In January 2023, the PPP/C administration demolished several properties in Cane View, claiming that the land was needed for the construction of the new East Bank road. The affected residents, predominantly of African Guyanese descent, were not only displaced but also left without compensation, according to the opposition.

However, recent developments have intensified these allegations. The opposition claims that the PPP/C has since allocated lands in the same vicinity —lands closer to the road than those where properties were demolished  — to individuals who are allegedly connected to the ruling party.

These individuals, described as “family, friends, and favourites” of the PPP/C, have reportedly begun construction on these lands. In one notable instance, a concrete fence has already been erected, starkly contrasting with the treatment of the original residents who lost their homes.

Opposition leaders argue that these actions expose the PPP/C’s true nature as a “wicked, destructive, vindictive, and racist regime.” They are demanding that the government allocate these lands to the original Cane View residents and provide them with full compensation for the physical and emotional trauma they have endured. Evidence shows the residents’ homes were not in the path of the four-lane highway.

Moreover, the opposition has pledged that if they return to power, they will ensure that the displaced residents are reinstated on their lands and adequately compensated for their suffering under what they describe as the “brutal” rule of the PPP/C.

Some of the displaced residents have since taken the government to court. Last May they were able to share their harrowing stories with United States Congressman Jonathan Jackson at a Town Hall meeting in the village. Residents shared their experiences with the aftermath of the forced evictions where homes and businesses were bulldozed in the name of development for a four-lane highway.

“They took our homes and gave us nothing but empty promises,” said one displaced resident, whose family had lived in Cane View for generations. The community also highlighted the lack of transparency and fair compensation in the process, asserting that many displaced families are still struggling to find stable housing.

This frankness did not sit well with the government, who through Minister Kwame McCoy, sought to silence the residents, causing the U.S Congressman to make known he is prepared to listen to the residents tell their stories.