Rewarding illegality

Abstract

In her article entitled 'Speculators and Squatters rule, OK', in last Sunday's MaltaToday, Pamela Hansen hit the nail on the head. Like all law-abiding citizens in this country who would never have the temerity to park on yellow lines, let alone appropriating a coastal stretch, Hansen expresses her bewilderment at plans to construct an electricity substation to the tune of €82,000 in the 1-Alirax area. Enemalta has justified such a move by saying that the substation is intended to serve the area better and not specifically the boathouse people. It may be sheer coincidence but a fleeting look at a map shows that the only sizeable settlements in the area are the boathouse shanty towns, whose owners have repeatedly complained about an unreliable electricity supply on site, even claiming that a woman was recently electrocuted. Condoning illegality by pretending to look elsewhere is one thing but to emulate 'Dear Philip', who in the 1980s was so moved by the 'plight' of the l-Ahrax squatters that he paved the way for provision of electricity and other services, is quite another. We thought that the sordid, lurid days of the 1980s were over - wishful thinking! What kind of signal is this sending to boathouse squatters elsewhere? Isn't this setting a dangerous precedent for Gnejna boathouse people, for example, who have been served with an enforcement notice, to start clamouring for a slice of legitimacy? Wiping the slate clean for the l-Ahrax squatters could well lead to similar movements at Bahar ic-Caghaq, Gnejna, Delimara, Dahlet Qorrot in Gozo and so on.