Nearly 100 families living in Kerebula Settlement in Nadi are facing an uncertain future after being ordered to vacate the land by December 3rd this year, with the Minister for Housing Maciu Nalumisa saying landowners have a responsibility to help relocate settlers before development begins.
Residents say they are devastated and fearful after receiving formal eviction notices from the Tokatoka Erenu, the customary landowning unit which owns the reserve land where the settlement is situated.
The notice warns families that failure to leave by December 3rd, 2026 could result in legal eviction proceedings.
For many residents, the settlement has been home for generations.
Anita Devi, who has lived in Kerebula Settlement for almost 50 years, told fijivillage News residents were shocked after lawyers representing the landowners issued the notices on Tuesday.
Devi says families have continued paying yearly rent and tenancy renewal fees to remain on the land, with some paying around $500 for a 10-year tenancy renewal.
She says there are 96 houses in the settlement and many residents now have no idea where they will go.
According to Devi, residents had previously met village representatives after being verbally informed several months ago that relocation may eventually happen.
She claims residents were told they could be given up to five years to prepare and that assistance would be provided in finding alternative land.
However, the formal eviction notice has now left families fearing displacement.
Devi says many residents are appealing to the Government and the Minister for Lands for urgent assistance because they do not know where else to move.
Meanwhile, the Head of Tokatoka Erenu, Mataiasi Nabau, told fijivillage News the decision to evict residents was made unanimously by the landowning unit after decades of frustration over what he describes as an unsustainable arrangement.
Nabau says the settlement began in the 1960s and 1970s when his forefathers allowed families to stay on the land under a low-cost arrangement to help make ends meet.
He says residents initially paid $500 and monthly rent of $30, but almost 60 years later the landowners believe the arrangement no longer reflects the value of the area.
According to Nabau, Kerebula is now located in one of the fastest growing parts of Nadi, with commercial and industrial developments rapidly expanding around the settlement.
He says developments including warehouses, subdivisions and commercial projects are already emerging across the road from the settlement.
Nabau also claims the settlement is recognised in the Fiji Government Gazette as a squatter settlement.
He says while residents continue paying only $30 a month in rent, some occupants have subdivided homes into flats and are allegedly collecting thousands of dollars annually from tenants.
Nabau says some families are earning between $7,000 and $12,000 a year in rental income while the landowners receive only $360 annually.
He says the Tokatoka’s population has also grown significantly over generations and the rental arrangement no longer supports the needs of the wider landowning family.
The landowners have also raised concerns about increasing social issues within the settlement, including reports of disputes, overcrowding and alleged criminal activity.
Nabau referred to a murder case in the settlement last year and claimed there have also been rising concerns about drugs and ongoing complaints between neighbours.
He says the Tokatoka does not want the image of the reserve land to be damaged and believes the situation could worsen if action is not taken now.
Nabau confirmed the landowners intend to redevelop the area into a commercial subdivision, saying the land is in a prime location with significant development potential.
Minister for Housing Maciu Nalumisa told fijivillage News that when settlers receive eviction notices, many immediately turn to the Government for assistance.
Nalumisa says in situations where people are living on private land, landowners and landlords also have a responsibility to help affected families relocate before developments proceed.
He says where consent had been given for settlers to live on the land, there should be discussions and consultations to allow families to remain temporarily while alternative relocation options are explored.
Nalumisa says one of the major questions that continues to arise is why settlers were allowed to build homes on the land in the first place, noting that in some cases landowners had given permission for people to settle there.
He says communication between settlers and landowners is critical in resolving such disputes.
We have also contacted the iTaukei Land Trust Board, which says that in cases where landowners have had some form of arrangement or transaction with residents living on their land for many years, the landowners should identify an alternative location for relocation, and the process should be facilitated through the TLTB.
The TLTB says they have not yet received any formal communication from the landowners, suggesting discussions may still be in the early stages.
