The demolition of a section of a Rwf 5 billion hotel complex by authorities of Gasabo District, has caused quite a stir and given rise to many versions of the story.

That the Mayor, Claudine Nyinawagaga, had earlier that morning been holed up with senior government officials who tried to avert the demolition and find an amicable solution to the issue, but went ahead and stood her ground is quite something.

One might argue that the Mayor guarded her independence in refusing to bend to pressure from the top, but it was a costly show of defiance, to both sides; the investor’s millions went up in dust, and the district earned a couple of frowns.

The question is, why did Mayor Nyinawagaga wait until someone had already sunk in Rwf50 million before calling in her demolition team? This practice is very common; the authorities fold their arms and patiently wait until some illegal structure has progressed, before acting.

It is time district authorities changed their attitudes, otherwise people might start thinking they have a spiteful streak in their genes which loves seeing things go up in smoke.

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