By Judith Kasek – EM TV, Port Moresby
The one month notice of eviction for settlers in the Eight Mile – Moitaka Swamp Area, has brought spokesperson Luke Magala to appeal to the Department of Agriculture and Livestock for more time.
They are appealing to the department, and will be presenting a court order to the department on Monday.
Magala said that the settlers did not know that the land belonged to the department and thought it as wasteland.
They have settled on the land for over twenty five years and Magala said they are not complaining about the land, but are appealing to the DAL to give them more time to relocate.
Thirty-seven houses with over one hundred and thirty men, women and children were given eviction notices to vacate the area by December 31, 2014, however Magala says the time frame is too short.
A one-month eviction notice was issued in November last year by the Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL), to a group of settlers illegally occupying the Eight Mile, Moitaka Swamp Area, portion number 1468.
The land belongs to the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, and is still undergoing development for its housing project.
More on this story: Informal Settlements on the Rise
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