Submitted by makiala iyoka ashanti
With much pain and desperation to do something about it, I read of the plight of the descendants of slaves who most likely were of the same clan who laboured and slaved without pay to built Maxwell Plantation fortune that has been sold to foreigners namely Chinese, with the results of the slaves descendants being ordered off the land by the court. The article printed in this Friday 5th June Nation News went on to state that a two floored house half half way done would be demolished and all the Bajan lady labour wasted with no mention of compensation or alternative provision.
Also other locals would no longer have backyards and the young carer of the 88 year old land owner cut off from her. WHERE IS THE HUMAN RIGHTS? It is a burning shame that just a few years after Owen Arthur while in England for the Slavery Bicentenary made a bold statement to the British Government to ‘Give back something to the slaves children’ that right in our faces in Barbados a ex slave plantation has sold land passed down from a generation of slaves to the present generation.
I am appealing to political activists like the people of the People Democratic Congress, The People Empowerment Party and Human Rights Lawyers and Pan Africanist as well as the Barbados Justice Committee to support these victims of recolonization by researching and offering them advice to appeal against the court order to buy time for proper legal research and seek out if they can be further representation. I see the defendant is quite young and may be unaware of other legal defences he may be able to depend on, for example, what about prescribed rights to the land where as one can claim these rights after living on land and not being charged rent for a given time, or what about the Government Tenantry Act whereby the government was to subscribe to the reduced cost of plantation land that slaves descendants lived on for generations. New political parties like the two new ones that contested the last general election,( since it seem that both sides of government have taken turns in selling us out to the Chinese and all ) I am calling on you to offer your support to these victims, who, most of the time have to surrender without the right legal advice not aware of their rights and suffocated by excess legal fees.
This is cause to start a national campaign demanding that the plantation owners who own 95% of Barbados arable land that is drenched with our blood sweat and tears, our forefathers bones and developed by our free labour should be given to us a reparation for slavery.
The generation who inherited Maxwell and other plantations benefiting from the above should have some conscience in matters like this and remember that neither the land or labour honestly belongs to them and should not be greedy and heartless to sell what was handed down to generations from slaves. Obviously the old man is dead and in those days there were not always formal documents exchanged when land was purchased, and this may be what they may be taking advantage of without equity. There may be other avenues in law that can be explored. I appeal to Pan Africanist to look into these and offer assistance to these poor people. I appeal to the government to stop selling us out to foreigners.
This same trick has been worked on some people in Porey Spring St Thomas where they lived on land passed down for generations not paying rent, the government was supposes to assist these people in buying the land at a reduced rate as tenantry land. Because the people do not know the law or their rights one man claiming to be a descendant of the the long time owner Mr Moore came and convinced the people they should pay him rent ( thus possibly losing their PRESCRIBED RIGHTS to own the land as long term tenant not paying rent) I believe they are points in law where this can be overturned if the people were misled by this man. However he offer to sell them the land if the want to buy yet as I have a house on the same land when I asked him to show me his title deed , it was not forth coming for a few years I don’t know if he found it yet. Although government seem to have started the process in assisting the people on DR Moore land to own their lot this man was still able to come and sweet talk them into paying him rent. Our governments and civil servants don’t seem to be acting in the best interest of the descendants of the slaves although the members of parliament too are descendants of the slaves like us. It seems they are quick to put on price on our heads or allow a price to be put on our merely survival.
Meanwhile the plantation owners after pocketing the rewards of slavery,now can reap the final grand reward of selling the land and we the slaves descendants GET NOTHING . And worst of all walk away silent or begging on our knees. FURTHER IT IS A BURNING SHAME WHEN WHAT LITTLE WE TRY TO GET FOR OURSELVES THROUGH FURTHER WORKING OUR BACKSIDES OFF IS DESTROYED WITHOUT REGARD FOR OUR WELFARE AND OUR GOVERNMENT MINISTERS WHO WE LINE UP IN THE HOT SUN TO ELECT SIT silent. This tells me it is time for the people of Barbados to defeat the governments misrepresentation and rally together behind such causes and local leaders motivate the people to stand up as one against such disrespect and disregard. People sitting in the CPAA office as Pan Africanist as well as political activist and social activist I beg you seek out if they can be further representation for these victims of land grabbing oppression. If so appeal against the court decision, drag it to the high court to the CCJ or the Hague, whatever it takes to demand respect for our part of building Barbados with our BLOOD SWEAT BONES AND TEARS. Organize a fund raising program, to cover legal cost to support any further representation that can be made.
Babylon system is surely a vampire sucking the blood of the suffering people. It seems that in Africa and the Caribbean the Chinese are the African people latest milker, sucking dry what the Europeans have left, and not without the help of the traitors of our race who willing to sell us out on demand.
PEOPLE OF BARBADOS UNITE AND RESIST THEM. THE POWER IS WITH THE UNITY OF THE PEOPLE AGAINST OPPRESSION.
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