Rabat – Residents of Skhirat-Temara prefecture have been protesting authorities’ decision to demolish apartment buildings over breaches of construction laws.
Videos of the protestors have taken Moroccan social media by storm with many blaming local authorities for “negligence” and “corruption.”
On Monday, Morocco’s Ministry of Interior Affairs announced the arrest of the head of the prefecture, six authority members, and two administrative executives who oversaw the construction of apartment buildings in the Skhirat-Temara prefecture that are currently facing a demolition process, threatening the displacement of hundreds of families.
“The decision comes within the framework of the ministry’s constant concern for the commitment of its civil servants of all ranks to respect the law and to strictly apply legislative and regulatory guidelines,” the ministry stated in a press release cited by converging media reports.
The ministry added that the people concerned would be subject to “appropriate administrative procedures” once the investigations are completed.
While the arrest of the head of the prefecture was welcomed and celebrated by local residents, they have also condemned the demolition of the housing spaces, stating that they might end up on the streets.
In 2019, a Moroccan businessman made a deal with the residents of a shantytown in the Skhirat-Temara prefecture to replace the shanties with apartment buildings.
The project promised to not only benefit former residents of the area but also others in the region interested in relatively affordable apartments with prices ranging around MAD 20,000.
According to converging reports, the businessman carried out the operation as planned and provided allowances for the shanty residents to cover their rent expenses.
However, local authorities stopped the construction work and ordered the demolition of roughly 1,600 apartments that were allegedly built in an area expected to be dedicated to public space, adding that the businessman had not received a building permit to start construction work.
The demolition order triggered public uproar with many beneficiaries from the urban housing project stating that they are fed up with the “empty promises” and stressing that they have nowhere to go if the project is not completed.
“If the company stops operating, we are lost,” one resident told local media. “Our children will be out in the street. We don’t have [money] to pay for the rent.”
Read Also: Morocco to Directly Subsidize Housing for Disadvantaged Families
Other residents have argued that the absence of a construction permit is only fined up to MAD 100,000 and not demolition of the buildings.
What the law says
According to Moroccan law 66-12 on the control and punishment of offenses related to urban planning and construction, the act of carrying out construction works without a permit is fined between MAD 10,000 and MAD 100,000 (article 71).
The text further specifies that setting up buildings on public property is also fined between MAD 100,000 and MAD 200,000 (article 77).
As for the demolition procedure, Moroccan decree 2-18-475 indicates that the demolition permit is issued by the President of the municipal council within a month of the filing of a request by an individual or group of people.
The president then sends a copy of the permit to local authorities. The document is valid for only six months without the possibility of renewal. However, the demolition period for state-owned estates extends over 12 months and it is also non-renewable.
Given that the case is currently under investigation, more details on the cited construction violations are yet to be announced.
