Samlimsan company demolishes houses belonging to locals living in SOMA land
BY BARNABAS MANEBONA
EIGHT families are homeless after their houses were destroyed yesterday and Friday last week by members of the Samlimsan company.
Tensions have escalated to serious levels and police is being urged to step in and mediate between the two sides.
Island Sun visited the area yesterday, situated near the Lungga coast, and witnessed the destroyed homes and spoke to the victims.
They claim that the land on which they have settled belongs to SOMA, a now defunct company which had belonged to the Late Solomon Mamaloni.
It is alleged Samlimsan has laid claims to a strip of land along the boundary between SOMA and Samlimsan, on SOMA’s side of the line.
“Samlimsan has trespassed and broken the condition given by the High Court,” said locals.
“The other inner-shore half land with the parcel number 192-004-0379 next to SOMA’s is currently under Samlimsan. The name used in the land parcel for Samlimsan is HHD.
“A High court decision was in favour of local landowners (Patterson Natei) for the other sea side half of the land in which locals who had their homes destroyed were living at the corner within the peg boundary SS3 next in border with Mr Natei’s.”
It is understood Samlimsan has appealed the High Court’s decision favouring Natei and the outcome to the appeal is to be made known on April 15 this year.
In the meantime, both parties are said to have been ordered by court to cease any activity and wait for the outcome.
“Samlimsan should be waiting for the High Court decision to take place and the police should be doing their best to address this situation already being reported,” said locals.
There was nearly a huge clash between locals and Samlimsan’s workers yesterday as destroying of homes continued since last week Friday in which the police had attended the scene to check and control the locals, victims and Samlimsan workers.
RSIPF has not responded to inquiries sent them by this paper.
Attempt to contact Samlimsan’s lawyer yesterday for comment was also not successful.
Locals that have had their homes destroyed are currently waiting for the High Court decision to be made in April.
In the meantime, they are filing a case against Samlimsan.
