The African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) plans to make land rights one of the central themes of its comprehensive programme this year and has called on the President to fulfil his promise of working in the interest of African people.
Referring to statements the President made at the launch of the International Year of People of African Descent (IYPAD) on Wednesday, ACDA said, “We welcome this sincerely…” in an open letter which it addressed to President Bharrat Jagdeo.
ACDA also issued a press release yesterday in which it made reference to an Ancestral Lands Commis-sion, while saying that it had advocated for this a few years ago and a motion was moved by the opposition in Parliament.
Parliament debated the motion, but it was rejected by the government, ACDA said. According to the organisation, the core of the motion in Parliament was contained in the second resolve clause, which read:
“Be it further resolved that this National Assembly calls upon the government to establish a National Commission to make recommendations on actions that should be taken to rectify and regularise, as appropriate, the ownership of village lands based on an examination of the historical and legal tenure of lands in the villages which were purchased by the freed African Slaves.”
ACDA stated that over the past five years it has heard a number of complaints about ancestral land and about barefaced encroachment by individuals to obtain prescriptive rights in outreaches to different parts of Guyana.
ACDA said many African Guyanese claim they are being robbed of their land through “gangsterism, bullyism, rank corruption and a Rip Van Winkle court.” The organisation charged that in many situations “malice and arrogance” have replaced the rule of law.
The organisation mentioned the Straughn family from Parika, saying that the family complained to ACDA highlighting the severity and injustice of their situation. ACDA said their own research has shown that lawyers are also fleecing their clients.
ACDA is calling on African Guyanese to lodge their complaints with the organisation at its headquarters building located at Thomas Lands no later than February, 2011.
Meanwhile, the main opposition PNCR yesterday charged that the motion on ancestral lands must be recommitted for discussion in Parliament if Guyanese are to take the IYPAD programme for 2011 seriously.
“The PNCR has already stated that any national programme must include tangible actions to address the many concerns of the African dominated communities, which have been the subject of discussion for many years,” the party said in a press statement, while pointing to the issues of marginalised communities, ancestral land, infrastructure in various communities and employment.
The proposals by the late leader of the PNCR Desmond Hoyte for a model programme of development must be brought back on the table for discussion and implementation, the party stated.
“If Jagdeo wants Guyanese to take him seriously, he must also, during this year, agree to an international inquiry into the Death Squad, which was responsible for the deaths of over four hundred Guyanese, including Ronald Waddell, most of whom were young Guyanese of African descent,” the PNCR said.
In addition, the party said that if the administration refuses to engage in proper consultation for a nationally agreed programme, the organisations which have raised concerns are likely arrange an independent programme of their own, “which the PNCR will support.”
