Fire burns in The Mud shanty town on Sunday and (inset) Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis. Photo: Vado Bootle
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Minnis administration intends to increase penalties for landlords who rent property to illegal immigrants, Attorney General Carl Bethel said yesterday.
“They are collecting rent from a shantytown,” he said. “The intention of the law is to declare the seriousness of the government to address this problem and to cause landowners to make sure that whoever they rent to has legal status in the Bahamas.”
The government has not yet disclosed its overall shanty town policy, though a Cabinet sub-committee was established several weeks ago to examine the matter.
Following Sunday’s devastating fire at The Mudd in Abaco, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and a delegation of government officials travelled to the island yesterday to review the situation.
Dr Minnis emphasised during the visit that the shantytowns “break every regulation and law and safety standard in the country,” adding that his administration will finally be the one to address the problem.
Dr Minnis questioned why legal residents on the island would live in the area as opposed to in a proper subdivision.
“This cannot continue,” he told some residents. “You’re breaking every safety regulation. You don’t have the infrastructure in place. You have ignored it and allowed it to fester… Let them know we’re not going to tolerate this. This is a thing of the past.”
One woman explained to Dr Minnis that many people in the area can’t afford to leave.
“They want better,” she said. “They want to see this place change as well.”
Dr Minnis also stressed that anyone born in the area is entitled to citizenship. Such people, he said, should not fear seeking help from officials if they have been displaced by the fire. Under the law, a person born in the Bahamas to non-Bahamian parents is entitled to apply for Bahamian citizenship once he or she turns 18.
Government officials said as many as 55 homes were destroyed in Sunday’s fire and approximately 150 people were displaced.
Comments
TalRussell 6 years, 9 months ago
Ma Comrades, even before I gets hears the words AG "Soft Sawder" Carl Wilshire, I done does reads more than enough to comes realization how he rushes be buttering this and that up with zero plan in place ever see anything to its fulfillment. This is not "Soft Sawder's" first Rake N' Scrape at the Shantytown Can - as your AG. Now, is it? Read his previous bad record(s) as AG on ending and prosecuting Shantytown offenders and landlords, the files are still there inspection.
DonAnthony 6 years, 9 months ago
What a country we live in. We have gone from a PLP government that talked a good game but was really a lying, corrupt, duplicitous, self enriching parasite on the backs of the Bahamian people; to an FNM govt that says all the right things but in effect does almost nothing. The Prime Minister gave a deadline of dec 31, for all illegal aliens to leave the Bahamas. Almost a month has passed and there has been seemingly no actions taken to back his ultimatum. It seems the status quo will remain. Like it always has. So our serious problems are never really addressed. We need tough decisions to be made otherwise nothing will change.
Now he tells us shantytowns must end, we all agree but why should we believe him. We need to bite the bullet and finally enforce laws in this country. These landlords should be fined for the thousands of violations they are guilty of and their land confiscated. These illegal aliens need to be formally regularized in some way, the ministry of immigration is a disaster and people can not be held in limbo waiting on their application for DECADES, or until they pay a bribe. An act of parliament should be passed to give these illegal persons born in The Bahamas some permanent status, with a clearly defined path to citizenship after a period of time. While at it we need to amend the constitution and decide if being born in this country automatically confers citizenship or not, if not no gray area with a right to application for citizenship.
We are tired of the talk. Mr. Prime Minister please just shut up and act.
Sickened 6 years, 9 months ago
"We are tired of the talk. Mr. Prime Minister please just shut up and act."
That line certainly needs repeating.
bogart 6 years, 9 months ago
Persons benefit from living in a shantytown in a number of ways such as .......language, common interests.....they share a common nationality, cultural identity, language, cistoms, habits, norms, mores, taboos, religeous beliefs.....security in numbers being protected ......low cost housing rental and expenses supply and demand met affordable by income....synergies...networking..etcBasically it is a social, economic etc unit and having stores, church, within and essentially these are illegal built low cost mini city nation within another nation. Fred Smith apparently knows this and weeks ago he wanted them authorized. Importantly, with free schooling, medical facilities and little or no law enforcement they thrive. Bahamian workers who live outside the shanty cannot compete as the lower level of wages accepted by lower cost shanty town workers whose costs of living expenses are lower. True equilibrium point in supply and demand cannot be met because of the cheaper labour of shanty and employers...owners of busonesses.... can always pay less than mimimum and have good labour supply.
seamphony 6 years, 9 months ago
yes let's end shantytowns! and let's not stop there! let's make our homes and yards prettier too! let's get serious about building codes and enforcing the building codes. let's lower or eliminate the customs duty on at least some of the building and maintenance supplies.
90 percent of the reason nassau looks like the dump it is now is because even a random publix in Flurida has better landscaping than atlantis!
joeblow 6 years, 9 months ago
Blowing hot air! He has the power to end them. Why get up and talk when you could do?
sheeprunner12 6 years, 9 months ago
The Ministries that are responsible for these public utilities are complicit in this illegal shanty town problem ....... How do they get house permits?????......electricity????? ........ water?????......... streets???????.......... phones??????? ........... garbage pickup??????? ...... cable?????? ......... WITHOUT A PERMANENT ADDRESS??????
The average law-abiding Bahamian cannot get these things living as a squatter in a 8x8 plywood shack ......... Why do illegals enjoy them in our country?????
John 6 years, 9 months ago
One of the major indicators of the rise in shantytowns is that the cost of living for regular, ordinary working Bahamians has become too high. Persons cannot afford to live with the high costs of food, housing and utilities especially. This is manifested not only in the popular and rapid development of shantytowns but problems many landlords are facing collecting their rents. Tenants move in and by the third or fourth month their rent is in arrears. Then their electricity gets turned off. And by the time the landlord gets to court to have them evicted, they are owing more rent than they paid since they moved in. And some compare the Haitians to the Filipino. The major difference here is the Haitians try to live as a family. With one or two working and taking care a family. The Filipinos are usually single or they are hired as. Husband and Wife team. So when the employer does not provide housing or just an allowance, they can team up with another couple and afford apartments in Cable Beach or that type neighborhood. And then there I’d discriminati in housing in the Bahamas. Landlords who will rent to Filipinos doing maid work and landscaping will not rent to Haitians doing the same job. So to eliminate shantytowns the problems that are causing them to be created must also be addressed. This includes illegal immigration.
Sickened 6 years, 9 months ago
Filipinos keep their environment clean. They will pick up litter outside their front door. They will sweep the entrance to their home. Haitians earn just as much as Filipinos yet they choose to shiiitte in a hole in a yard and steal electricity!
DDK 6 years, 9 months ago
Go Dr. Minnis! No more shanty towns!
TalRussell 6 years, 9 months ago
Ma Comrades, no plausible denial can be advanced that the Mud Shantytown first originated as a red shirts economy booster creation - so much so they ran the 'Spirit the Mud' as the red shirts become Abaco's MP, and appointed him Chair government boards. Just maybe under PM Minnis, the Imperial red cabinet will get around likewise boosting Freeport's economy? {Can't make this historical background on Mud, up}.
bogart 6 years, 9 months ago
DDK.....you may not realize it but the process should be accelerayed immediately to address the entire area because the intense heat created poisons from chemicals, rat poisons, poisonous material, batteries, latrine waste, zinc sheets, lead paints, ,old aesbestos roofs , etcetc that is almost 100 % expected to seep into the ground water and the next door homes water supply are likeky to be contaminated. Persons are likely to have breathing problems, rashes, etc. The entire area should be quarentjined and health officials examine everyone.
DDK 6 years, 9 months ago
Totally agree. All Government agencies and departments involved should act immediately, as immediately as is possible in our Bahamas! What has not yet been announced is how long those living in the shanty towns have to relocate. The areas in question should then be completely cleared unless it is possible to remove some of the dwellings and clear space for roads, electrical, water and sewerage within the areas with legals only permitted to remain and contribute proportionately to costs involved. Compliance with all codes, laws and regulations MUST BE ENFORCED. No messing about this time. The time for all talk and no action has passed. Again, I hope the elected officials and various department heads in Abaco and all islands concerned finally take notice and ACT before another such occurrence takes out an entire town.
TheMadHatter 6 years, 9 months ago
One big joke. Until you see employers getting fined and jailed, don't waste your time with too many words on this issue. You wait and see how many churches take truckloads of food and clothing in there. You check the records of the money transfer businesses. You will see tons of money going to Haiti - but after this tragedy you will see NONE coming back.
Why should they send any money back? They know that Bahamians will pay the costs. Look for VAT to go to 10% by June.
DEDDIE 6 years, 9 months ago
If that's the case, wouldn't the same logic apply to Nassau considering the city dump is always burning with the same agents mentioned above. Imagine quarantining the entire island.
jus2cents 6 years, 9 months ago
"Shanty towns must end" Well, no s^#t Sherlock! Example of a politician saying what he thinks people want to hear. (As they do) And I expect people don't really WANT to live in them either, but they do out of 'necessity' It's bloody expensive living here. Also, some of these 'shanty towns' are not that horrid to live in, they have these 'home made' communities in quickly developing nations worldwide and they are not always looked upon a a 'bad thing' they are viewed as a sign of growth and development. So, why not do something Radical, and just ""Compromise"" Now then... right....OK, that's a great new concept, lets simply compromise! Besides we don't live in a perfect world, and we have got to crawl before we can run. Why not just TRY and work 'with' the shanty town communities, make them safe and gradually help the people assimilate to a better way of life for All parties.
DDK 6 years, 9 months ago
Your radical concept has merit, I think, as mentioned in my comment above. Of course organizing our civil service departments to act accordingly could prove challengingly monumental, as evidence by the growing existence of these shanty towns in the first place.
jus2cents 6 years, 9 months ago
DDK You are correct! and far too sensible to really think that the 'civil' 'service' (an Oxymoron if ever there was!) could actually 'act accordingly' if only they did! Then most of our social issues wouldn't even exist.
The Bahamas two biggest problems = 1. People not doing the job they are supposed to be and 2. lack of law enforcement and accountability.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 9 months ago
How many politicians (or their friends, families or lovers) live, or collect rent from shanty towns in this country??????? HMMMMMMMMMMM
birdiestrachan 6 years, 9 months ago
It may surprise you folks to learn, that many who reside in shanty towns have money. more than most Bahamians living over the hill. They do what they can get away with and they get away with a lot. Doc is just talk. there is nothing to his talk and they know this. Did he wear his green bead bracelet to Texas??,
The Drama King will tell them how high to jump and they will Jump. It seems he has told the Fox what time it is and the Fox said Yes Sir. Just pay attention actions speak louder than words..
sheeprunner12 6 years, 9 months ago
Should we allow people (who are used to living in such slums in Haiti) to bring our Bahamian society down to their Port-au-Prince level of existence???? Do we want to continue to tolerate a Haitian ghetto in our backyard or along our highway????
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