Reason has prevailed. Although the great majority of the squatters might really need a helping hand from the authorities to get out of their difficult situation, the occupation of houses of the National Housing Development Company (NHDC) was illegal. They had to go to allow all the “legal owners” – who must have made many sacrifices towards a home – take possession of their property. The Trust Fund for the social integration of vulnerable groups is now responsible for an enquiry to classify squatters according to criteria of priority. The authorities seem conscious that those people need help and look ready to take appropriate measures in that direction.

Yet, nothing hinted, until last Wednesday (the ultimatum fixed by the authorities) that the squatters would accept to move out of the houses. They had occupied different sites throughout the island for several days – Cité La Cure, Terre Rouge, Camp Levieux, La Tour Koenig, Chebel and Pointe-aux-Sables. Some had even threatened to commit violent acts against themselves.

The patience and diplomacy used by the police force during the negotiations have to be praised. This certainly played an important role in the success of the operations and in the fact that the squatters finally accepted to leave the houses. Instead of forceful operations as expected by most people, the authorities and the police used all their powers of persuasion to put an end to this conflict. The authorities even put removal vans at the disposal of squatters to move some of their personal stuff.

<B>“Forced to vacate the premises, some squatters said they were ‘encouraged’ to squat the NHDC houses by three politicians – among which two ministers.”</B>

If there was a need to prove that a great number of these people were really in distress, 76 families have been sleeping in tents on a football ground at Camp Levieux since the eviction order took effect. The government has rented a canopy to protect these people from the weather. Ceal Meeah has also given some tents to the squatters. The Catholic Church has been trying to help them as much as possible by giving them strong support. However, the vicar general, Jean-Maurice Labour, refuses to engage the responsibility of the Church to find a roof for the squatters. “The Church will not replace the State in its responsibility to find means of giving a house to Mauritian citizens.”

But the affair has also taken on a political dimension. Forced to vacate the premises by the authorities, some squatters asserted that they were ‘encouraged’ to squat the NHDC houses by the present attorney general, Rama Valayden – candidate for the Social Alliance in Stanley Rose-Hill. Mathieu Laclé, Social alliance candidate in n°1, and his fellow candidate, James Burty David, minister of Regional Administrations, have also been pointed at by squatters.

Rama Valayden is said to have “advised” in a political meeting to take a chance with the NHDC houses while the two others allegedly encouraged the practice in several meetings. One squatter, Maria Legallant, has filed a statement at Line Barracks police station against Rama Valayden.

The three politicians have denied the accusations. According to Rama Valayden, it is only “false and malicious denunciation in writing.” Moreover, he asserts he is “serene” and is “waiting to be questioned by the police.” The social alliance is also accusing the opposition of being behind this “slander”.

The government is blaming the former prime minister, Paul Bérenger, of having allowed the situation to deteriorate. “Navin Ramgoolam said, during his victory rally on 10th July in Quatre-Bornes, that the commissioner of police had told him that the former PM, Paul Bérenger, ordered him not to interfere,” declared Rama Valayden.

The opposition leader is now asking for an independent commission of enquiry to find out who the instigators of the illegal squatting were. This follows the statement of Jean-Maurice Labour who asserted that he witnessed acts of intimidation towards people who had made allegations against the politicians. Rama Valayden has condemned these acts but he accepts that these people could be some of his supporters, who know that he is innocent.

The squatters may have left the NHDC premises but the episode seems far from coming to an end. Beyond the political turn and the allegations against two new ministers, the main problem remains that more than a thousand people are homeless. The authorities will have to make sure that such situations do not recur in the future. And the only way is by seeing that they get a roof over their heads. Both parties will however have to make an effort to reach a successful ending – the ministry of Housing and the squatters themselves.