A Papua New Guinean family who have been renting a property from the National Housing Corporation for the past 46 years have been served with a 24-hour eviction notice by a different owner who had obtained an eviction notice from the Port Moresby District Court.

Yasling Akianang is a former public servant who has been a tenant of the NHC since 1977, occupying the three-bedroom unit in Tamaku Crescent, Gerehu Stage 1.

Akianang said yesterday he was “sad” that he and his family had been given an eviction notice to move out.

He said he had always maintained his rental payments and had called it home for more than four decades.

“I moved into the house in 1977. I have always maintained my direct fortnight deduction rental payment since then.

“No one told me I had any outstanding debts or anything. As far as I know I don’t have any debt,” he said.

“We went to court and because I do not have a title because NHC is the legal title owner I was not able to say anything.”

Eviction notice
The eviction notice was signed by two people noted as joint owners or landlords.

The notice stated, “…hereby serve you a copy of the eviction court order granted by the POM District Court on Wednesday 01st of March 2023.

“Please be advised you are given 24 hours to vacate the property.

“Note that we have also requested police assistance in this matter. Should you fail to comply, police will immediately carry out the eviction exercise forthwith. Your 24 hour notice deadline is at 5 pm 28 March, 2023.”

Today, three generations of the Akianang family occupy the three bedroom unit.

“I have my three children living with me and my grandchildren and my relatives living here too. Where are we going to go, it is my home,” said an emotional Akianang.

The PNG Post-Courier has asked the National Housing Corporation for comment.

Claudia Tally is a PNG Post-Courier journalist. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Hundreds of settlers from the controversial Garden Hills settlement along Waigani Drive in Papua New Guinea’s National Capital District (NCD) have been thrown out of their homes after a court order enforced by police.

Their homes on church-owned land were razed by bulldozers yesterday.

Policemen deployed at the eviction site told news media that they were acting on a 30-day eviction notice that had been given to the settlers to move out, but they had stayed on.

“We were given an order from the NCD-Central Command to provide security while the authorities carried out the eviction exercise,” a senior officer at the eviction site said.

Mothers and children sat on the road with their belongings, watching helplessly as their homes for more than 30 years was torn down by machines while armed policemen stood guard.

A few people were sorry to see the settlers kicked out and their homes torn down, but most city residents have been complaining over many years about “general lawlessness” caused by the settlers.

‘Crime hotspot’
Police have identified the settlement as a “crime hotspot”, with NCD Governor Powes Parkop vowing to remove the settlers.

In the most recent law and order situation in the settlement, two people were killed in a drunken brawl that got out of hand, with the settlers running amok in the Garden Hills estate, threatening and attacking residents.

Residents in the estate have lived in fear of being attacked or mugged by youths.

According to deputy commander of NCD-Central Command, Laimo Asi, the land belongs to the Assembly of God (AoG) church.

Laimo said an eviction order was given 30 days ago to the settlers living there.

“But they did not move so the church got an eviction order and police just enforced the order,” he said.

“Units were sent in to enforce the eviction order; there was a bit of resistance in the morning, but the situation is now under control.

“Police will continue to patrol the area.”

The settlement is one of the biggest and most notorious in NCD.

Governor promised squatters
Attempts to get comments from Governor Parkop yesterday were not successful.

Governor Parkop had promised squatters at Garden Hills a year ago that they would be relocated to Fareya behind the air transport squadron (ATS) at Eight Mile.

On December 15, 2020, the Post-Courier published an article quoting Parkop regarding the future of the squatters following mounting pressure by residents who fall victim daily to petty crimes by youths from the settlement.

After 12 months, the squatters were finally evicted in a massive eviction carried out yesterday.

Marjorie Finkeo is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

By Adelaide Sirox Kari in Port Moresby

Since Papua New Guinea’s EMTV News broadcast a story on an eviction at Red Hills settlement in Port Moresby, many viewers have asked about a student who was shown crying at the site of his demolished home after returning from school on the day of the eviction.

Two bulldozers under police escort destroyed about 250 homes in the settlement a week ago, forcing more than 2000 people – many of them children – to become homeless.

EMTV News visited Tokarara grade 9 student Raydan Repono’s family to see how they have been coping since the eviction.

READ MORE: School children hurt from eviction at Red Hill

It was footage that EMTV News had captured on the day of the eviction that showed a Raydan, overcome with emotion, sitting and looking on helplessly.

He cried at the sight of the place he once called home that was now being demolished before his eyes. For this student and all the other families at the eviction site, life has now become a daily struggle.

EMTV News was able to capture his family scrambling to pack what they could before the bulldozer ripped through Raydan’s home.

Yesterday Raydan explained how he felt that afternoon.

Court battle
What used to be their canteen that had provided income for the family who resided at the area since 2011 was all gone.

Through his tears, Raydan said he hoped they would win the court battle so that his family could rebuild their home again.

While EMTV News spoke with Raydan’s family, Ata Aluao, another evicted victim approached EMTV News asking to share her story also.

Ata’s family was not so lucky as their home and all their belongings were destroyed, but Ata’s real concern was her daughter in Grade 12 and another at Pacific Adventist University (PAU) who now have no roof over their heads.

Since the eviction a stay order was taken in the National Court by the settlers, who are represented under the Redhill’s Association. But even with this stay order a second eviction took place.

EMTV News contacted the Lands Department since the eviction to clarify if 16 portions of land where the eviction took place are under an expired Urban Development Lease.

EMTV News items are republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz