The International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly – Guyana (IDPADA-G), and the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) are objecting to the Acquisition of Lands for Public Purposes (Amendment) Bill on the basis that it has dire implications on the right to land ownership through natural inheritance. 

The proposed Amendment Bill, which is expected to be debated in the National Assembly on Wednesday, is intended to allow for “prompt payment” of lands compulsorily acquired by the State. It also guarantees the State’s right to vacant possession of land that is compulsorily acquired.

But Chairman of IDPADA-G, Vincent Alexander told News Source that both the substantive legislation and the proposed Bill have serious implications for African Ancestral lands, and should therefore be sent to a Parliamentary Special Select Committee. 

He said the legal framework embedded in the Principal Act is detrimental to the interest of people of African descent and the Bill only compounds the situation. 

Alexander said the legislation should be redefined at the level of the Special Select Committee, and provisions be put in place to safeguard African ancestral lands.  

“At Independence, there was a negotiation that provided for the protection of Amerindian lands, that was not done for African lands. Let us be clear that there were, and there are African lands, namely the lands that were purchased by our ancestors, and then they transform into villages or the plantation they transform into villages. Additionally, there are lands that were granted to the villages and thirdly, there were lands that were occupied for an extended period, and therefore, those three categories of land we consider to be ancestral lands but there is no regime in place to protect those lands in the manner in which Amerindian lands are protected. And therefore acquisition, in the manner, in which the bill provides for it, allow for those lands to be taken away without the kinds of process that the Amerindians enjoy,” Alexander explained. 

He said while Government is mandated to consult with Indigenous people in keeping with the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) principal, people of African descent enjoy no such safeguard.

However, he said the issue must be rectified in keeping with the theme for the decade “Recognition, Justice and Development.” 

“What is of concern now is that the acquisition is taking on some interesting angles. For example, the bill talks about prompt compensation, which means that it does not allow for a peri od of negotiation and so, people can be short changed in the process of compensation. The bill speaks about interested party coming forward and the minister determines who is the interested party. So, people who have squatted, people who have sought to get prescriptive title can come forward when an attempt is made to acquire and they can then be treated as if they are the owners,” Alexander explained. 

He insisted that African ancestral lands must be protected.

Alexander noted that the David Granger Administration’s Land Commission of Inquiry had set out to do just that, however, the initiative was aborted by the ruling party.  

Meanwhile, at a press conference today, General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC), Lincoln Lewis called for the Bill to be shelved to allow for nationwide consultation. 

He said in its current form, the Bill has serious implications for ancestral lands. 

“This Bill should be of concern to all those who have the right to claim ancestral land. We must be particularly concerned not only about our African brothers and sisters but our Amerindian brothers and sisters. The disregard and disrespect by this regime for the lands owned by specific groups (some more than some), is troubling,” Lewis said. 

He said the GTUC sees this Bill as a move by the Government to legitimize land grabbing.

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