Hanuabada landowners are making a stand to get rid of illegal landgrabbers in their village.
This stand came about in relation to the commotion that took place yesterday on a land right across from the HB Laurabada Church.
Rightful landowners, the Lakani family said the land was used by the family back in the days of the British Empire up until when the Australians took over the mandate and left after independence, no proper hand over take over was done.
According to their original record of the land lease dating back to the British Empire, any land leased over and after 10 years should be forfeited back to the original landowners.
“This was never done as because of the fact that there was no proper handover takeover done back then when Australia left so the government so the government took it in as state land,” Landowner Joe Lakani says.
The government used that portion of land to build houses for public servants to reside in up until when the house was burnt down.
What was believed to have happened then was that the tenant that lived in the house when it got burnt down, went ahead to get the land registered under his name.
The title was challenged in court in 2007 but to no avail up to today been called again to revisit the case.
The tenant then sold off the land under his name to a buyer about three weeks ago, turned up at the location with what was said to be a court order to claim the portion of land that belonged to the Lakani family, fencing off part of the land.
Yesterday a construction company turned up at the Lakani residence telling the family that they were there under the instruction of the man that bought off the land to clear the area off.
Witnesses say, there were a group of men who looked to be like Highlanders standing with bush knives, pointing and arguing with the family.
The Lakani family with the help of the other HB residents brushed off the company telling them that they were not to cut or dig anything on the land.
The company left the land untouched.
Today, landowner Joe Lakani and most of the HB landowners called a meeting to give warning to everyone that land grabbing will not be tolerated in Hanuabada.
“The government built the house on what was customary and assumed to be State land after the Australians left.”
“We have families who have lived off this land for generations and we want the right authorities to come down to our level and clarify such land matters to us before things get out of hand again,” says Lakani.