14 Families Slapped With Notice

Fourteen families residing at Vunivaivai Settlement in Nasinu have at least two weeks to vacate the land they are living on following a court order is­sued on December 18, 2023.

The High Court in Suva, on De­cember 18, ordered that the fami­lies to vacate the land by January 18. It belongs to the Nasinu Land Purchase & Housing Cooperative Limited.

Gopal Gyanendra and his family have been living in the settlement for about 30 years.

He said the beginning of a new school year for his three girls would be affected as he tried to look for a place for his family to live in.

“It is not how we expected to begin the New Year,” Mr Gyanendra said.

“My daughter has to go onto Year 13 and I have another one that has to start Year 9, but right now I am busy looking for a place to move my family into,” he said.

Relocation plea

He said he was hoping that Gov­ernment would look into their plea and provide them a place to move to.

Another resident Farnaz Fazilat and her family members now live in uncertainty after spending 18 years in the settlement.

“We do not have any place to go, we have been living here for more than 18 years, my husband has been residing here for more than 34 years along with his parents,” Fazilat said.

“We received the eviction notice on December 18, last year. We were all in shock as it was the festive sea­son. It was hard for us because my husband works alone and we have grandparents to look after,” Ms Fa­zilat said.

“Until today there has not been any assistance from Government or other organisation with only two weeks left for us to leave. We have been informed that if we do not leave, the sheriff will come and dismantle our home.

“The least they can do is assist us, give us any land or any compensa­tion to settle or maybe give us more time to look for a new place.”

The same applies to Sekoula Naucukidi’s family after 24 years of living at the settlement.

“The time has come for us to leave, yet we have not found any place and no land or place has been provided by the administration,” she said.

“We began this year on a challeng­ing note, school is beginning soon and our financial status will not cater for the transportation of our belonging to a new place along with daily needs and preparation for school.”

Questions were sent to the Minis­try of Housing but no response was received when this edition went to press.

Feedback: meli.naisele@fijisun.com.fj