Dear sirs,
Based on a meeting that the ACC team had with the Inhabitants Commission in Lubango, we would like to inform you of the following:
320 houses are about to be demolished along the Mukufi river. This river divides the city of Lubango in half and its bridge gives access to the Lage Church and the 27th of March school. According to a member of the Inhabitants Commission, the demolitions haven’t taken place yet because two weeks ago the Municipal Administration didn’t manage to reach a consensus amongst the inhabitants that would be affected. The inhabitants have already received documents to receive plots of land in Tchavola, but not the actual plots in order to start construction works.
The following concerns were raised:1. No conditions were prepared to deal with the vulnerable (elderly, ill, poor, disabled people); 2. There is no information available with regard to the compensations available (some of the inhabitants have legal documentation of their property); 3. There is still not a school in Tchavola, which means there is a risk for children to miss out on this school year; 4. There is talk about 20 zinc sheets being given out for those who built brick houses, but it seems to be just a rumour.
After the demolition of the 320 houses, the second phase will follow which will have many implications: 1. The terrible problems created by the first demolitions have not been solved yet; 2. There is one month left before the rainy season starts in October, which means that during this period it will not be possible to build any houses. The rain may also worsen health problems.
In this context, we ask for your contributions so that we can act in an organised way and avoid this imminent disaster. Meanwhile, ACC has gathered and proposes the following ideas: 1. Pronounce ourselves with other partners in Lubango through the ADRA space and also; 2. Set up a meeting with the Municipal Administration to demand that the national and international law regarding demolitions is met, in order to avoid the events of the demolitions of last March; 3. Request the mechanisms of the United Nations and the African Commission to intervene in order to avoid that things get worse; 4. Mobilise the media to spread the news on this case.Lubango, August 30, 2010.ACCMais informação em Inglês sobre as demolições no Lubango More information in English on the demolitions in Lubango:
ANGOLA: REBUILDING BY DEMOLISHING
The politics of national reconstruction
http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/63298
ANGOLA: DEMOLITIONS CONTINUE, BUT CRITICAL CONSCIENCE GROWINGhttp://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/66663
Prezados,Venho por este meio, baseado num encontro que a equipa da ACC acaba deter no nosso escritório, com um dos membros da Comissão de Moradores, informa-vos o seguinte:
Based on a meeting that the ACC team had with the Inhabitants Commission in Lubango, we would like to inform you of the following:
320 houses are about to be demolished along the Mukufi river. This river divides the city of Lubango in half and its bridge gives access to the Lage Church and the 27th of March school. According to a member of the Inhabitants Commission, the demolitions haven’t taken place yet because two weeks ago the Municipal Administration didn’t manage to reach a consensus amongst the inhabitants that would be affected. The inhabitants have already received documents to receive plots of land in Tchavola, but not the actual plots in order to start construction works.
The following concerns were raised:1. No conditions were prepared to deal with the vulnerable (elderly, ill, poor, disabled people); 2. There is no information available with regard to the compensations available (some of the inhabitants have legal documentation of their property); 3. There is still not a school in Tchavola, which means there is a risk for children to miss out on this school year; 4. There is talk about 20 zinc sheets being given out for those who built brick houses, but it seems to be just a rumour.
After the demolition of the 320 houses, the second phase will follow which will have many implications: 1. The terrible problems created by the first demolitions have not been solved yet; 2. There is one month left before the rainy season starts in October, which means that during this period it will not be possible to build any houses. The rain may also worsen health problems.
In this context, we ask for your contributions so that we can act in an organised way and avoid this imminent disaster. Meanwhile, ACC has gathered and proposes the following ideas: 1. Pronounce ourselves with other partners in Lubango through the ADRA space and also; 2. Set up a meeting with the Municipal Administration to demand that the national and international law regarding demolitions is met, in order to avoid the events of the demolitions of last March; 3. Request the mechanisms of the United Nations and the African Commission to intervene in order to avoid that things get worse; 4. Mobilise the media to spread the news on this case.Lubango, August 30, 2010.ACCMais informação em Inglês sobre as demolições no Lubango More information in English on the demolitions in Lubango:
ANGOLA: REBUILDING BY DEMOLISHING
The politics of national reconstruction
http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/63298
ANGOLA: DEMOLITIONS CONTINUE, BUT CRITICAL CONSCIENCE GROWINGhttp://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/66663
Prezados,Venho por este meio, baseado num encontro que a equipa da ACC acaba deter no nosso escritório, com um dos membros da Comissão de Moradores, informa-vos o seguinte:
Estão na iminência de serem demolidas 320 casas ao longo do Rio Mukufi, que divide a cidade a meio, cuja ponte dá acesso à Igreja da Lage e Escola 27 de Março. De acordo com o membro da Comissão, asdemolições só não aconteceram porque há duas semanas, a Administraçãonão conseguiu reunir consenso com os moradores a serem afectados. Os moradores já receberam cartões para receberem os terrenos na Tchavola,mas sem terem recebido terreno para iniciarem as obras.
Preocupações:
1.Não foram preparadas condições para se lidar com os vulneráveis(idosos, doentes, pobres de baixa renda, portadores de deficiência)
2. Não existem informações sobre indemnizações (alguns moradores têmdocumentação legal das moradias).
3. Não existe na Tchavola escolapara acomodar as crianças a estudar, podendo correr o risco deperderem o ano lectivo;
4. Fala-se de se dar 20 chapas de zinco para os que construiram casasde tijolos, mas não é informação certa. São boatos;
Depois de demolidas as 320 casas, seguir-se-á a segunda fase.
São muitas as implicações:
1. Os problemas terríveis criados pelas primeiras demolições não foramresolvidas;
2. Falta um mês para iniciar o temo chuvoso, que será em Outubro, o que significa impossibilidade de construir durante este tempo, bem como agravar os problemas de saúde;
Em função disto, aguardamos por vossas opiniões para podermos agir deforma concertada e evitar mais este grave desastre à vista. No entanto, a ACC reunida esta noite teve as seguintes ideias:
1. Articular com outros parceiros do Lubango através do Espaço ADRA e não só;
2. Marcar uma audiência com a Administração Municipal para se exigir que se cumpram os pressupostos legais domésticos e internacionais quanto às demolições, para se evitar o que aconteceu nas demolições de Março último;
3.Solicitar aos mecanismos das Nações Unidas e da Comissão Africana a intervenção para se evitar o pior;
4.Mobilizar os media para difundir e divulgar o caso.
Lubango, aos 30 de Agosto de 2010.
ACC
Peço por favor à Silvia para nos ajudar a traduzir para o Inglês, por causa da urgência.
Abraços.
P.Pio