Evicted: Church, Acting On Court Order, Dismantles Houses At Tamavua-i-Wai
Mr Kori, 69, who lives with his 92-year-old mother said they did not know where to go. But the church said for many years had extended hospitality to those who had illegally established dwellings on its freehold land.
Thursday 12 December 2019 | 11:13
Viliame Koroi 69 walk in the ruins of house with children after his house was dismantled and they were given eviction notice in Tamavua on December 11, 2019. Photo: Ronald Kumar.
Tension was high yesterday when the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church began evicting people from its land at Tamavua-i- Wai, Wairua Settlement, in Suva.
The church said in a statement last night: “We are particularly concerned that threats of violence have been made against those who have been tasked with carrying out the legally enforceable orders of the High Court of Fiji from as long ago as October 7, 2016.”
The church called upon those people to respect the court’s findings and directions, and to recognise that the church had allowed them over three years to make other arrangements.
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As a group of men under Police guard entered the settlement to dismantle the houses, one of the occupants said this was the first time that a church was evicting people when it should be looking after their welfare.
Viliame Kori claimed they were not given enough notice that the men were coming to dismantle their houses.
Viliame Koroi 69, of Wairua Settlement after he evicted on December 11, 2019. Photo: Ronald Kumar.
She also said this was a hard time for them as they were nine of them staying under one roof.
“They did not give a warning before dismantling our house and we have nowhere to go to.”
Mr Vere said they were staying in one of their neighbour’s houses for the time being.
10 x Wairua Settlement Evictions from SDA Church Land.
“We requested the group of men to dismantle the house carefully, without damaging any house materials so that we could use those materials to rebuild the house elsewhere,” he said.
Edited by Naisa Koroi
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