Evictions in Madagascar

A Brief Report (Joel Bolnick)

Madagascar, the Earth’s second largest island, is also one of its poorest countries. More than seventy-percent of the population of about 14 million inhabitants live on less than US $1 per day. Antananarivo (Tana) is the capital. It is located in the middle of the island. Today it spills out from the hills where the city was originally founded in pre-colonial times. Land has not really been a problem for poor people. Most land is public land and until recently poor people have been able to settle on public land without serious fear of eviction. This is graphically reflected in the fact that although people are very poor most houses are formally built, either from fired bricks or from compressed earth block.

Things changed dramatically for a few hundred families in October 2000. The newly elected mayor of Tana ordered the demolition of buildings along several roads leading into the city. This was part of a project funded with grant and loan finance from the World Bank, European Union and Japanese government. The new mayor accelerated the implementation of a plan that has been on the drawing board since 1997, whereby the international donor agencies would invest in infrastructure upgrading – especially roads – in order to stimulate tourism. Tourism was seen as the engine that could drive development in the country.

It is estimated that about five hundred families were affected by the first wave of demolitions. Alternative land for resettlement was not provided, nor any compensation, except in the case of the people living in the slum of Andohatapenaka, who received about $15 (US) compensation each.

The people of Andohatapeneka also received some support from an NGO called CDA (Conseill Development d’Andohatapeneka). This is a very well established service organization that was started by a charismatic Jesuit Priest in the mid 1980Õs. CDA only operates in Andohatapeneka. The agency runs a lot of interesting programmes for the poor in the settlement. These include infrastructure upgrading projects and water provision projects that CDA run in conjunction with community based organizations in the slums.

When the people were evicted they came to CDA for assistance. CDA made accommodation available to them in a village that CDA owns and that was built as accommodation it training institute. The families who were evicted were given until the end of January to remain on the CDA premises. In November, the director of the programme went to Europe to meet with some of their Northern partners. In Germany they met with Misereor, who suggested they get in touch with Shack Dwellers International (SDI). In the first week of January Joel Bolnick, Secretary of SDI and Fr. Jorge Anzorena of Selavip travelled to Tana to meet CDA and the people who were evicted.

During that week we got the opportunity to learn about all CDA’s programes. We linked up with several of the committees that were managing the water project and one or two other that had involved in road construction together with CDA. We also met the Director and his staff. Of course we met with the people who had been evicted as well.

CDA was unsure about ways in which to deal with the problem of the evictions. The agency has a good relationship with the city authorities and is recognised for the work it does for the poor in Andohatapeneka.

We felt that it was almost certain that all donors involved in the rehabilitation of the roads would have some conditions in their contracts with the city to guarantee that people’s situation would not deteriorate as a result of these developments. At the very least they would not wish to be seen to be funding a project that evicts poor people without the provision of reasonable alternatives. It was our suggestion that CDA assist the people living on their property to conduct a survey of all the families that have been affected by the eviction and try to make contact with other families who face a similar fate in the future. Thereafter, we felt that the leaders of these evicted families could accompany CDA on meetings with the bilateral agencies involved and with Minister of Urbanisation and Development.

We offered that a team from South Africa could come to Madagascar to assist the evicted families in their information gathering exercise and their negotiations.

The director of CDA then raised the problem of finance. Even if alternative land was provided (which he thought was unlikely), where would the money come from to build affordable houses. It was then that we suggested that he should accompany some of the evictees on an exchange programme to India and Thailand to see how attempts are being made to address this problem in these countries.

While the Director was cautious, the community leaders responded to these suggestions with enthusiasm. They prepared to set up a committee and begin linking up with other evicted families there and then. They also decided to go to CDA and ask permission to remain on CDA land until an alternative was negotiated.

This was the situation when we left Tana on 5 January. It was now up to the community to begin to organise itself and CDA to provide support. Understandably the communities enthusiasm was not matched by CDA. The service organisation felt a little unsure about its role and a little uncomfortable with the idea of acting as a support organisation to the evicted families.

We still await a response from CDA to our two exchange proposals.

http://www.sdinet.org/media/upload/countries/documents/a_south_african_exchange_to_madagascar_peoples_dialogue_tana.pdf

Andohatapenaka

vendredi 4 avril 2008, par Lanto

Une cinquantaine de ménages sont menacés d’expulsion à Andranohambo dans le quartier d’Andohatapenaka. En effet, le propriétaire de la société Mouf’Rey et l’Etat entendent récupérer des parcelles sur lesquelles ils sont installés depuis plusieurs années. Un délai de trois mois a été accordé aux occupants du terrain de la Seimad acquis en 2002 par le propriétaire de Mouf’Rey. Par contre, l’Etat a donné 8 jours pour les occupants de la propriété de l’abattoir. Les squatters de cette propriété, répartis dans une dizaine de ménages devront quitter les lieux ce jour.

Lopin de terre

« On ne sait pas où aller avec nos nombreuses progénitures », souligne Razay, une mère de famille. « On ne sait plus quoi faire, les responsables des Fokontany viendront ici demain et l’on s’attend à ce qu’ils nous trouvent une solution. On espère au moins qu’on nous installe quelque part », se rassure-t-elle. Un père de famille a pour sa part souligné que sa famille a vécu sur les lieux depuis plus de 50 ans et qu’ils ont contribué à la valorisation des terres. « Toutes les activités qui nous font vivre sont ici, nos rizières, nos élevages et aussi la vente de sable », se défend-il. Un problème qui n’est d’ailleurs pas unique en son genre. Combien de familles sont actuellement expulsées des lopins de terrain sur lesquels elles ont vécu depuis des décennies, mais par méconnaissance des législations en vigueur.

http://www.madagascar-tribune.com/Expulsion-d-une-cinquantaine-de,5807.html

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