14 - 20 June 2001
Issue No.538
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 14 - 20 June 2001 Issue No.538 |
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Whose 'public benefit'?
Has the government changed its mind on a controversial decision to expropriate land on two Nile islands in reaction to the public outcry it provoked? Gihan Shahine digs for answers
"We will not wait until the two islands are turned into tourist villages; we will oppose all encroachments on protected areas," Asmaa El-Halwagi of the environmental Tree-Lovers group told a meeting of NGOs last week.
There is still local resentment and confusion over decree 542 of 2001, in spite of the government's hasty about-face. The decree implied the possible evacuation of 12,000 inhabitants of the Nile islands of Al-Dahab and Al-Warraq, who are currently engaged in market gardening, principally of vegetables and potatoes, so the land could be made available "for public benefit." The islands were proclaimed ecologically protected areas in 1988, presumably to curb further building projects.
Those attending last week's NGO meeting voted to send a petition to President Hosni Mubarak and all authorities concerned calling for the decree to be revoked.
In response to the public outcry, Prime Minister Atef Ebeid declared that those who had deeds of ownership would not be evicted. He also promised those without official deeds the opportunity to buy the land on which they were squatting.
Ebeid's statement followed demonstrations on the islands. But does this really mean that the government has gone back on its earlier plan? Fretful inhabitants decided to continue with legal proceedings to contest the decree before the Administrative Court.
"People cannot sleep," said Umm Ahmed, an inhabitant of Al- Warraq. "Those without an education took the government's words for granted and held a celebration. Many, however, remain sceptical and go in fear of being evicted."
Many NGOs are equally sceptical. "If the government were serious, it would simply have revoked the decree," maintained Yehia El-Zeini, a professor of fine arts and a member of Tree-Lovers. "The government probably plans to get the inhabitants out and compensate them."
It is now clear that the islands did not emerge from the waters of the Nile after the construction of the High Dam, as the government claimed in an apparent attempt to prove they were state-owned. Official documents show that the islands were on the map before the French campaign against Egypt in 1798. The island of Al-Dahab was named after its one-time owner Mohamed Abul-Dahab, a Mameluke who lived two centuries ago. Official figures show that 90 per cent of land on Al-Warraq and 75 per cent on Al- Dahab legally belong to people on the strength of ownership deeds, many of which date back to the early 1900s. And while not all the inhabitants have deeds, there are those who have had their hands on their land for more than 15 years, and may thus be considered legal owners under Egyptian law.
Although the number of inhabitants with deeds may not exceed 50 per cent, Giza MP Mohamed Abul-Enein has faith in the government's promise. "The government has promised people a chance to buy the land," he told Al-Ahram Weekly. "Only a minority of people who have their hands on land will be evicted."
However Mohamed Khairi, of Al-Warraq's agricultural association, which is affiliated to the Ministry of Agriculture, doubts that the government will give people a chance to acquire the land, the price of which will probably skyrocket after the completion of the Cairo ring road and the Al-Warraq flyover. "And if it does, can the farmers afford it? I doubt it. Many farmers are already in debt and would prefer a good financial compensation in order to shift to another business," Khairi says.
The government has not explained what it means by "public benefit," or why all the relevant authorities had been kept in the dark about decree 542. Public benefit, Khairi says, should mean building infrastructure, a school or a hospital, and certainly not private investment. "But is the government ready to spend millions on sprucing up the area for poor inhabitants?" he asked.
Rumours persist that the Ministry of Housing pushed the decree through to make room for private investment on the islands. Khairi says at least four renowned businessmen had bought land on Al-Warraq, one of whom tried to build a tourist project. And, according to the weekly Al-Mussawar magazine, a number of businessmen have already built mansions on Al-Dahab.
But, as Khairi puts it, it is impossible to put investment capital in the middle of the islands' shanty dwellings, and the government will either have to develop the area or just evacuate the inhabitants in return for "suitable compensation."
Investing in the islands would also clash with environmental and agricultural laws. With vast areas of fertile agricultural land -- 190 feddans in Al-Warraq alone -- the islands are considered a prime source of vegetables for Greater Cairo.
"The law, however, allows seizing private property in order to build a new suburb and also building on arable land in cases where the Minister of Agriculture permits it -- possible loopholes for the government to obtain legality," warned Sherif Kamel, former head of the Authority of Urban Planning.
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