Gerehu, the sprawling suburban township to the north of Papua New Guinea’s capital Port Moresby, is now a “ghost town” for shoppers.

All major shops in the central business district in the city’s biggest suburb — Papindo, Gmart, Total Energy service station, Desh Besh Motors, Pharmacy, Supermarket and the bakery which serve a population of more than 50,000 — was set on fire by looters on last week’s “Black Wednesday” riot.

There is nothing left of the shops but debris and charred remains of buildings.

Many residents have expressed remorse that there is nothing left.

“Gerehu is now a ghost town,” said one emotional resident.

“We have nothing here anymore and the shops we grew up with are gone.

“Gone just like that at the blink of an eye.

‘I grew up here’
“I grew up here, this is my home.

“Oh my heart breaks.”

The busiest bus stop in the city was empty with no vendors in sight.

The main market was left with only a few food items and vendors.

One could guess mothers were chased out of the market as well while doing their usual marketing.

Only the thin smoke coming out from the walls and outside of the sheds was noticeable when the PNG Post-Courier visited the area at the weekend.

The Government has evoked a law that now gives government agents absolute rights to search your homes, vehicles and mobile phones during the State of Emergency.

Click the link to read more: ( https://t.co/5Ykkzwo0Rz )

— PostCourierlive (@postcourierlive) January 15, 2024

Gerehu General Hospital security supervisor Topo Dambe said the burning of buildings affected their area where they had received several casualties and the hospital was busy throughout the day.

“But when they set fire to the shops, the hospital staff and the lives of the people and properties were at risk and we were left to protect them and the hospital,” Dambe said.

“We had to close the gates allowing only emergencies.”

Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Rogue police officers have been alleged to be part of last Wednesday’s uprising of opportunists leading to looting and ransacking of more than 20 shops and loss of businesses in the capital of Port Moresby.

Prime Minister James Marape said last week’s “Black Wednesday” unrest had led the government to consider the Vagrancy Act and complete the national Census.

Marape said the 14-day State of Emergency orders included “no movement of large crowds”.

“There is no curfew and limited movement of large crowds will be stopped,” he said.

“Police will be supported by the PNG Defence Force and they will be allowed to stop anyone and check them.

“We are taking a soft approach to the SOE for the next 14 days,” Marape added.

Meanwhile, Brian Bell Group chair Ian Clough has made an impassioned plea to the government for assistance to rebuild its business because the company’s losses suffered in the Black Wednesday plunder were not covered by insurance, reports Claudia Tally.

He said that all businesses which suffered the “indignity of huge losses” through theft, arson and looting were not covered by insurance companies.

Brian Bell suffered losses of 50 million kina (NZ$21.5 million) million) after its warehouse in Port Moresby’s Gerehu Stage 6 was completely emptied by looters during the citywide plunder of businesses on January 10.

An emotional Clough said all businesses were not covered by insurance for civil unrest. This situation needed to be treated as a “natural disaster” where the government
must step in to assist.

Gorethy Kenneth, Miriam Zarriga and Claudia Tally are PNG Post-Courier reporters. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

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

A Supreme Court ordered mass eviction of settlers on land between Papua New Guinea’s University of PNG, Gerehu Stage 3B and Morata stage one in the National Capital District has been stopped at the 11th hour by Chief of Police Operations and Deputy Police Commissioner Operations Anton Billie.

Deputy Commissioner Billie’s orders to stop this mass eviction have put him in a collision course with two separate orders of country’s highest court — SCA 19 of 2018 and SCA 77 of 2015 — unless he reviews and rescinds his orders within 72 hours.

Lawyers representing the land developers have threatened the police with a contempt lawsuit.

Deputy Commissioner Billie ordered a freeze on the mass eviction citing concerns that the court order was not clear and that the legal ramifications of police involvement were not properly clarified in such a large scale operation involving many families.

In a minute sent to NCD Central Commander, Deputy Commissioner Billie said: “After having been briefed on the matter involving the occupants of the portion of land, NCDC, Sixth Estate Limited and Lands and Physical Planning Department, I believe it is a very complex issue as it is.

“If a request with clear court orders have been presented for police assistance, then we have to engage our Legal Directorate to clarify our legal standing in the matter first before engaging our men.

“There is no real need for impetuosity.”

Land dispute settled in 2016
But the registered proprietor of the land — as determined and settled by a three-man Supreme Court bench in 2016 — the Sixth Estate Limited, through its chairman and chief executive officer Philip Mark Paguk, said the Deputy Commissioner may not have been privy to the history of the issue.

In a detailed, five-page letter, including attachments, lawyers of Sixth Estate Limited, Kandawalyn Lawyers, explained the background to all the court proceedings from the district, national and Supreme Court and two police operational orders for the eviction exercise.

The law firm urged the Deputy Commissioner to revoke his earlier orders within 72 hours or contempt proceedings in the Supreme Court would be filed against him and others who were hindering the mass eviction.

“There is no stay order of the Supreme Court Decision in Otto and Others vs Sixth Estate Limited and Others; SCANO. 19 of 2018 and SCA. NO.77 of 2015, hence the runway is clear for the proposed eviction to progress in compliance with the Supreme Court Order,” the lawyers advised.

The letter went on further and stated that: “As far as we are concerned, there is no court order in place stopping/hindering/restraining the pro-posed eviction exercise.

“There is a Supreme Court order in place as mentioned in our letter for police assistance, and that paves the way for the eviction to commence with the assistance of police.”

CEO Paguk said that while he appreciated the concerns raised by Deputy Commissioner Billie in his minute freezing the eviction exercise, his company had spent millions of kina in mobilisation for this eviction after almost 10 years of court battles.

Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

By Meleasie Goviro in Port Moresby

They said it was an emotional day for them, to celebrate Mother’s Day in iconic Paga Hill  in Papua New Guinea’s capital of Port Moresby – a place they once called home.

Mothers who were unfortunate to have been part of the eviction of settlers from Paga Hill, capitalised on Mother’s Day to appeal for help.

It was also a symbolic gesture for them. On Mother’s Day six years ago they were evicted along with their families, and resettled to Six Mile and Gerehu. Since then, they say they have been living there under harsh conditions.

On Mother’s Day morning, they staged a peaceful march during the Walk for Life along Paga Hill road to make a statement.

Staging the march was about getting the recognition they deserved as citizens with equal rights as any other to basic services.

Weeks beforehand they had decided to reach out to the NCD Governor Powes Parkop for assistance.

-Partners-

Parkop had no idea that they had planned to meet him at the end of the Walk for Life event. There, they handed him a bilum containing a documentary that sums up what they have and continue to endure since they were resettled to Six Mile and Gerehu.

Gerehu group
Bessie Maiga and her family were part of the group who resettled in Gerehu. She says it has been hard on her and her family, especially when it came to finding water and employment. She said:

“Now Mothers Day na ol larim ol mama sidaun, nogat ba mipla karim container wara go kam lo rot olsem ol camel.”

(Because its Mother’s Day today we celebrate. Every other day we carry large containers of water up and down the road like camels).

Bessie’s husband now lives in the city with relatives in order to keep a job that would sustain his family.

Her story is one many of them share. Some families are not as fortunate as others to have a steady income.

“Sampla papa sa wok, sampla nogat. Lo Paga ino olsem, ol man blo mipla na pikinini man sa go dive na mipla sa salim,” Bessie said

(Some of our husbands have jobs, other don’t. It wasn’t the same at Paga Hill when our husbands and sons would go diving for fish and we would sell it for money).

Going back to Paga Hill rekindled fonder memories of a time when life was simpler for them.

“It was home for us, and it is unforgettable” said Bessie’s daughter Serah

Their Mother’s Day march was a desperate cry for help from the government. They say they seek only to be given the decency of basic human rights and services they deserve as people of this nation.

Meleasie Goviro is an EMTV News reporter. This is article is republished by Asia Pacific Report with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz