Africa-Press – Angola. The management of the Catumbela Industrial Estate (PDIC), in the province of Benguela began, during the current week, a program to demolish illegal constructions built within the perimeter of Phase III.
In Thursday’s press interview, the Chair of the PDIC Board of Directors, Miguel Correia, said that the action aims to recover the hectares occupied by the population in areas intended for the installation of industries.
Miguel Correia stated that approximately 200 hectares with anarchic constructions were identified in the neighborhoods of Pedreira, Gama and the Catumbela cemetery area.
He added that this action has already resulted in the demolition of 87 excavations, 47 foundations and 30 walls, without, however, affecting the residences built within the perimeter, since the respective families need relocation.
The CEO emphasized that three families with precarious housing have been identified in this area, and the PDIC is working to relocate them to another location through the self-directed construction program.
“There is a joint work plan with the Catumbela municipal administration. Firstly, to identify possible areas where the population could build their housing, that is, arganized areas for housing and not for industry, because there cannot be housing between industries,” he said.
For this reason, he continued, the Catumbela Municipal Administration has identified 6 areas, one of which is in the Luhongo Centrality with 300 plots and another on the outskirts of the city with more than 50 plots, for people whose constructions will be demolished.
Miguel Correia made it clear that the demolition decision comes after a working meeting with the Benguela provincial governor, since many encroachments were observed in the industrial perimeter.
In addition, he stressed that the population was building illegally, namely under high-voltage power lines, water drainage ditches, and in the continuity project of the PDIC itself, which, in his view, also compromises industrial expansion and development.
“We have a very big struggle. On the one hand, we want to develop industry and generate jobs, and on the other hand, the population is encroaching on an area that is not intended for housing,” he noted.
He added that the affected families have been notified and the Catumbela Municipal Administration is handling the procedures for allocating plots to those concerned.
Miguel Correia clarified that there was no attempt to demolish residences, but only foundations, scaffolding, and walls, and took the opportunity to guarantee that the PDIC will assume the lease of the three families living in a shack, within its commitment to the population’s well-being.
He revealed that the PDIC is part of a Government program that is concerned with the population, not only in the area of employment for young people, but also in the construction of decent housing.
In this way, according to the official, the Government is providing this opportunity, within the framework of these programs that emerge every day to improve population life conditions.
The PDIC, with an area of 2069 hectares, has 102 companies operating in several sectors. Of these, 29 industries operate in the production of consumer goods, mainly in public works, construction materials, hygiene products and the food sector.
Among the units, the highlight is the production of biscuits, dairy products and beverages, processing and metallurgical industries, which generated 3,800 jobs, with the 2nd phase underway with the construction of 16 new industries at the moment.
