Victory after 20 years of Asbestos Housing Struggle
01.08.2022
Sunday 31 July saw a fantastic “victory meeting” of the “Joint LALIT-Regionals and Local Asbestos Housing Dwellers’ Committees” at Grand River North West. There were groups of delegates present from 14 different working class housing estates from all over Mauritius: Tamarin, Bel Ombre, Langlois in Plaine Magnien, Pamplemousses, Ste Claire in Goodlands, La Sourdine in Escalier, Balance in Plaine Magnien, Sebastopol, Olivia, Cluny, Trou aux-Biches, Rose-Belle, Telfair, Argy in Flacq, as well as the 15 LALIT members that give a hand in the different Regional Committees. There was an air of satisfaction to be meeting to mark an historic victory: the Government has finally taken responsibility in a formal way for not only destroying the asbestos houses it sold to people, but for replacing them by new houses. The Government has announced that this demolition-reconstruction will be completed within two years. In fact, in the Finance Act of Friday 29 July, two days before the Assembly of asbestos house dwellers, Parliament passed the law that allocates Rs800 million for construction of 1,800 asbestos houses still inhabited by working class families.
We discussed, however, that “victory” will only take a material form if we continue the pressure of mobilization. Thus after the Budget Speech, we immediately wrote a first letter to the Minister calling for a “timetable” for the construction work proposed, and for a regional “desk” for asbestos house dwellers to consult without having to go to Ebene each time. And, six weeks later, now that the Finance Act has been passed through the National Assembly, we have deposited a petition with the Minister on Monday morning, 1st August, with the same demands. We call for a reply.
The Assembly was presided over by LALIT member Rada Kistnasamy. Rajni Lallah, also a LALIT leading member, gave a clear historical account of the struggles – the petitions, the demonstrations, the regional marches on Citizens’ Advice Bureaux, the individual letters from hundreds of asbestos house dwellers – and all the results of this mobilization: there was first the Addison Report, which then became secret after having been published, and which we have till now never been able to get hold of a copy of – even the Ombudsman could not get us a copy. Then there was former Minister Soodhun’s announcement that the there was a big project coming up to replace the asbestos housing, an announcement that remained no more than an empty echo. But now, we have managed to get a budgetary vote. This is a victory.
Anne-Marie Joly then read the letter we had already sent, as the Joint Committee, to the Minister. Lindsey Collen also spoke, outlining the role of the grassroots leaders present for the assembly in informing everyone in their housing estate, when they go home after the meeting, of the precise nature of the victory they have won through their very own struggle, and of the need to continue the struggle until the victory in terms of the State taking its responsibility, becomes a reality, in the form of a house. She also said that the problem of “lakaz zeritye” (compulsory heirs system) will slow down the realization of the victory. Those whose home ownership is not contested by other family members can be put on a fast track, while others either get their papers in order – most often not possible, in which case the Government will have to find alternative housing elsewhere, for the actual occupants, after destroying their houses. People agreed with this demand.
Then there was discussion from the floor. Everyone knows that turning this victory (Government not only admitting responsibility, but also voting the money to right the wrong), important as it is, into reality, means putting more pressure on the State. Such is the nature of living in a bourgeois State: working people only win gains through constant struggle!
