Musician and businessman D-Black has spoken out against the ongoing demolition of beach clubs along Accra's coastline, warning that workers and business owners who depend on these facilities for their livelihoods risk being left with nothing. He described the recent demolition at La Pleasure Beach Resort as "unfortunate," stressing that it was not an isolated event. The demolition is part of a broader campaign by authorities to clear beachfront areas in Accra.
D-Black's comments add his name to a widening circle of entertainers, politicians and civil society voices reacting to what has become a string of beachfront clearances in Accra. According to him, Flamingo, Ula Beach, Polo Beach and Vienna City Beach Club had all previously been affected by similar exercises before La Pleasure Beach's turn. The growing list of demolished beach clubs has sparked concerns about the impact on livelihoods.
The La Pleasure Beach demolition itself was carried out by a joint team of military and police personnel, triggering resistance from the Member of Parliament for La Dadekotopon, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, who said the government had no knowledge of the exercise before it happened. The demolition has been marked by allegations of violence, including claims of soldiers assaulting an activist and a blogger.
The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), which owns investment stakes in the adjoining Labadi Beach Hotel and La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, has said it sought the intervention of the National Security Council Secretariat to deal with what it called persistent unlawful occupation and encroachment on the beachfront. SSNIT has framed the demolition as protection of a national hospitality asset.
SSNIT has said the cleared Labadi beachfront is intended to become a planned tourism hub that will create jobs for locals, generating returns for contributors and pensioners under the Basic National Social Security Scheme. However, concerns remain about the impact on affected workers and business owners, with no clear plan for compensation.
For the business owners and employees at the demolished clubs, D-Black's intervention underscores a practical concern that has so far gone unanswered by officials: whether any compensation scheme will be put in place. Neither SSNIT nor government officials have detailed any compensation plan for affected workers or business owners.
With at least five demolitions now tied to the broader Accra beachfront clearance campaign, pressure from entertainers, politicians and civil society groups continues to mount on authorities to clarify the rationale behind the exercises and address the livelihoods of those displaced. D-Black's call for compensation is a key concern for those affected by the demolitions.
Key points
- Musician D-Black criticizes Accra beach club demolitions, calls for compensation for affected workers and business owners.
- The demolitions are part of a broader campaign by authorities to clear beachfront areas in Accra, with at least five beach clubs affected.
- Concerns remain about the impact on livelihoods, with no clear plan for compensation for affected workers and business owners.
