For a few weeks now, the prices of construction materials in the town of El Jadida and the surrounding villages have been rising incomprehensibly. While the price of cement remains unchanged, that of the 15 cm breeze block (average or even lower quality) has gone from 3 to 8 DH and that of the 20 cm breeze block has gone from 4.50 DH to 12.00 DH.

Furthermore, labour is becoming increasingly scarce. An apprentice mason costs no less than 170 DH per day. As for professional masons, they have deserted the construction sites where they worked by the day, leaving contractors in a difficult position.

To understand the causes of this situation, one must go back in time and space. At the beginning of December, at Douar Lamnadla located near Sidi Bouzid, in the rural commune of Moulay Abdellah, the head of the circle, accompanied by his collaborators and law enforcement officers followed by a mechanical digger, intervened to demolish some 300 anarchic houses built clandestinely. This unwanted visit triggered the anger of the inhabitants, who were apparently expecting it. They therefore entered into a confrontation with the law enforcement officers, who preferred to withdraw after having suffered significant damage and recorded a few injuries among them.

Result: the circle head's car was set on fire without any construction being demolished.

One of these inhabitants declared to us in this regard: "In 2002, they demolished our houses and promised us solutions. In 2006, the Urban Agency of El Jadida announced that our Douar was going to initiate a rehousing programme as part of 'cities without slums' and that studies relating to basic infrastructure were being carried out. Since that date, nothing has been done; we have only received promises without follow-up".

The story of Lamnadla spread like wildfire and encouraged other Douars to build without fear of the authorities, whose failure was evident in Lamnadla.

Thus, dozens of Douars in the commune of Moulay Abdellah and Haouzia engaged in a race against time to complete the construction of their homes and impose a fait accompli, in total anarchy and without any respect for construction and urban planning standards. Others have even started to build commercial projects (cafés, games rooms, etc.) without any respect for cycle paths or historical monuments, as in Moulay Abdellah where anarchic constructions adjoin the wall of the ancient city of Tit.

The chaos is total. Construction is taking place in broad daylight; construction material merchants have even set up shop near these sites, which are clandestine in name only.

Entire neighbourhoods are springing up like mushrooms. They will certainly pose a problem in the future. In the meantime, the authorities are observing a complicit silence and are content to enjoy the spectacle from the front row.