Morocco: In Bouznika, bulldozers are closing in on the villas of senior officials
Wealthy property owners and influential officials are now being caught up in the campaign to reclaim public land in Bouznika. Several have been ordered to vacate their properties before September 15, under threat of demolition.
The latest phase concerns a particularly sensitive case at the seaside resort. According to Goud, formal notices have been sent to villa owners, among whom are reportedly some very wealthy individuals and influential officials. They must vacate the premises before September 15.
On Bladi.net : Agadir Authorities Continue Demolition of Illegal Beachfront Structures
The case is not new. As early as 2022, elected officials from Bouznika had referred the matter to the public prosecutor at the Casablanca Court of Appeal regarding a subdivision developed on the southern beach. Their complaint mentioned villas and palaces built on land belonging to the public maritime domain and allocated to individuals described as influential, including former officials and parliamentarians. The case subsequently led to investigations by the National Judicial Police Brigade.
Demolitions have already begun in Bouznika
The change has become much more visible this year. In April, the provincial authorities of Benslimane had 19 apartments belonging to a well-known real estate developer demolished in Bouznika. The buildings had been targeted for violations of urban-planning regulations and approved plans.
The coastline is also under surveillance. In June, the Casablanca-Settat authorities asked coastal municipalities, including Bouznika, to strengthen oversight of permits to occupy the public maritime domain. At the same time, reports indicated the presence of private constructions and villas built on stretches of coastline between Harhoura and Mansouria.
Bouznika has already seen similar operations. In Dahomey, dozens of holiday homes, some of them attributed to elected officials and influential figures, had been destroyed during a previous campaign to reclaim the maritime domain.
On Bladi.net : Bouznika: the authorities demolish 19 illegal apartments
This time, the deadline has been set for September 15. The owners concerned are now being directly targeted by the evacuation procedures that precede the announced demolitions.
