Tangier Authorities Demolish Illegal Apartment Constructions in Urban Planning Crackdown

Mohamed Mhidia made this decision after noting fraud in urban planning regulations. Some construction plans would have been modified by project developers, reports the daily Al Ahdath Al Maghribia. "The authorities acted hastily in demolishing these buildings," protest the owners of a demolished construction site in the Rahrah district, claiming to have "committed no violation of the law."

For some observers, this decision by the Wali is "bold" all the more so as it aims to "stop the incursion of the real estate lobby in the city and severely punish the offenders." However, they fear the strong influence of this lobby which could drown out all these efforts. "Will the Wali go ahead with this operation and will the suspension of these projects lead to demolition as happened with the Rahrah building," they wonder.

The real estate lobby is made up of developers with close ties to elected officials and the leadership of political parties. Some of them would be the main financial supporters of Tangier politicians during election campaigns.