CAIRO: Architect Mamdouh Hamza slammed the government's decision to seize land donated to build homes for Aswan's flood victims, branding it as a "[personal] defamation and a blow to grassroots initiatives . During a press conference Saturday at the Journalists Syndicate, Hamza said: "There are certain entities that specialize in destroying such projects ... There is monopoly over charity work. Hamza said that the Aswan governorate seized the 100-acre piece of land it had previously donated to Hamza to build 880 homes for flood victims in Egypt's southern governorate, claiming that Hamza's designs have irregularities. It also seized control of the bank account where millions of pounds were donated by the government, celebrities and companies from around the Arab world in February through a campaign by TV presenter Amr Adib on his popular daily show "Al-Qahira Al-Youm . Last January, flash floods and heavy rain left 10 dead in Sinai and southern Egypt. Hundreds of homes were destroyed, mainly in the city of Aswan and the North Sinai town of Al-Arish. The government was heavily criticized for its inability to deal with the aftermath of the natural disaster, prompting angry reactions from those affected and igniting efforts from civil society. On March 25, Hamza received two police reports ordering the construction team to halt all work, citing the lack of a building permit which Hamza was promised earlier by the governorate. They are charging us with three irregularities, Hamza said. The dispute is over the fact that the bank account of the Islamic Mowasa Association, where the donations were collected, received funds from abroad, which, according to the governorate breaches the law. Additionally, the governorate objected to signing with the firm Hamza Associates without holding a public bid, ignoring the fact that Hamza was the one to offer to design the houses free of charge as soon as the grassroots initiative was put forth by Adib on his show. The governorate is also claiming that the proposed designs utilize cheap material and thus have irregularities. Homes in this area have been built this way a million times. You can get a peasant and he will build this way. We have professionals, said Hamza. Designs of one-storey houses made of red brick and adhering to local architectural features follow the school of renowned Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy, added Hamza. In February, after a trip to Aswan, Hamza estimated that each house will cost approximately LE 30,000 and will be built on a 250-meter block, of which 65 meters will be allocated for the actual building. It will take approximately three weeks to build a house and the entire project is scheduled to be completed in three to four months. Hamza provided the press with copies of official letters that detail all the communication that took place between the parties involved. Work started on Feb. 11, a week after Hamza s first visit to the southern governorate. At first the governor was very supportive, but a week into laying down the foundations, his attitude towards us changed, said Hamza, who speculated that the governor, who was initially on their side, started getting orders from opposing entities. The construction site was denied water pipes, Hamza explained, after the governor had previously agreed to install them. It didn t stop us. Workers carried water in barrels from the Nile which was about 2 kilometers from the site, he said. Of the total 50 days from when Hamza and his team first arrived in Aswan to when the site was forcefully shut down, builders worked only six full days. For 17 days they worked at separate intervals wary of police reports submitted against them. The rest of the time saw them struggling with endless bureaucracy, according to Hamza. Twenty-nine homes have been built, while 33 more are currently under construction. I hoped to finish the project in 100 days and build something to be proud of, said Hamza. I am determined to continue this project and I will take legal action if my reputation is harmed . I have been in this field for over 40 years, he added. Hamza said that one of the donors called him up last week and said he would be withdrawing his money if the project is taken over by the government. Meanwhile, on Dream TV talk show Al-Ashera Mas an on Saturday, the governor of Aswan Mostafa El Said said that the government is only objecting to Hamza s designs and insists he uses steel foundations for all the houses. The buildings do not need steel foundations . I call for the governor to be held accountable and then [I would like] to sit with him and reach a compromise, said Hamza
