The legal battle between the Association of Campement Owners and Users (Acou) and the government seems far from resolved. On the contrary, it appears even more serious with both sides keeping their stand. Minister of Housing and Lands, Asraf Dulull, has expressed his intention to go forward with the fees that campement owners have to pay to keep their bungalows while members of the Acou appear more than ever determined to fight their case.

The latest legal weapon of the 700 Acou members is the difference between the rent they have to pay on their property and that paid by hotels and companies. Strangely enough, campement owners will have to pay 10,000 % more than hotels to rent a plot of land in the coastal areas.

In fact, the parliamentary question by majority MP, Eric Guimbeau, made the Acou realise that the lease fee requested from industrialists and the one from individuals was far from being the same. “How can they claim at the same time a lower amount from companies with higher revenues and higher amounts from individuals? This is not logical!”

However, the problem is even more acute than that. The very fact that the government intends to take some bungalows back for the minimal sum of Rs 20,000 – as compensation – while these same bungalows “are worth several millions” has infuriated campement owners.

Moreover, the latter do not understand why they should pay rent on their land when the same land will go back to the government at some point in time. All contracts indeed make it clear that the buildings will become government property when the lease ends.

The Acou started its battle after minister Sithanen made it clear in his budget last June that the leases did in no way correspond to the real value of the lands. The market price is “a thousand times higher”, he said. As a result, campement owners were confronted with two alternatives: either they end their contracts and renew them under the updated conditions and prices or they continue with the same contract. But, in the latter case, they have to give the land and buildings to the government when the contract expires. Since neither side looks prepared to give in, there might be a crisis looming!