Woman wants land back

By YVONNE HAIP
WESTERN Highlands’ woman Agnes Kolta has been in and out of the Lands department corridors for 12 years just to get her land back.
In 1989, Kolta purchased a piece of land at Warakum in Mt Hagen and agreed on a 99-year lease with the landlord.
She also negotiated with the provincial lands department to pay K3,300 annually, and operated a tavern which sold 200 cartons of beer weekly.
Kolta said the business was doing well but suddenly in March, 2000, another title for the land was issued to another person by the Lands department in Port Moresby.
Wanting an explanation, she went to Port Moresby to sort out the issue but had been given various reasons over the past 12 years.
Because of the conflict over two land titles and the land not being developed, the Lands secretary gave her two options – to give up the land so that the department could allocate her another in Port Moresby or be paid for the land.
Kolta agreed on both options, either the land or K20 million, as that would have been the amount she could have made between 1989 and 2000, and would settle for whichever was suitable for the department.
But this was never settled over the past 12 years and a frustrated Kolta believes this was because she was a woman.
“During my visit to the department two weeks ago, I was next in line to see the secretary when a group of Asians were ushered in, although they weren’t in line,” she said.
“I was told to speak to the director, the very person who gave the second land title to someone else.”
Kolta was then instructed by the director to take the matter up before the courts.
“How can I take someone to court for my own land which houses my living?” she asked.
“I am not the only woman facing this situation; there are so many others from Morobe and Madang who are given less preference over men and foreigners.
“Women are recognised for their efforts through medals and all that, but what does that mean to us? Women need to participate equally in development and cannot be oppressed like this,” she said.
Kolta called on the prime minister, lands minister and women MPs to look into the matter.