Authorities want to demolish home Valais woman with cancer must vacate her parents' house by Monday
The Salamin family has lived in the Pfynwald for 60 years. Now the house has to go - as quickly as possible, according to the authorities. A woman suffering from cancer will lose her home as a result.
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- The Salamin family has lived in Pfynwald for 60 years.
- Now the house is to go - as quickly as possible, according to the authorities.
- Manuela Salamin, who has cancer, is losing her home as a result - and doesn't know where to go.
Manuela Salamin is about to lose her home. The 59-year-old suffers from uterine cancer and lives alone in a house in the middle of the Pfynwald forest in Valais, which her parents built in the 1960s. However, the cantonal building authority considers the building to be illegal as it is located in a protected zone and is now demanding that it be demolished.
"I'm sad that they won't let me live here," Salamin told the "Walliser Boten" newspaper. "Because of my illness, I would like to stay, but they won't let me."
The small house is more than just a place for Salamin, she explains. The nature and tranquillity of the forest offer her solace in a difficult time. But the authorities point to the agricultural and conservation zone of national importance in which the building stands.
Legal dispute since 2007
There has been a legal dispute over the house since 2007, after Pro Natura pointed out that conversions had been carried out without a permit. The cantonal building commission (KBK) then demanded the demolition. All of the Salamin family's appeals were unsuccessful and the demolition order is now about to be implemented.
Since this summer, Salamin's health has deteriorated considerably and the news of the imminent demolition is weighing heavily on her. The municipality of Salgesch has offered her a temporary home, but Salamin is clinging to the hope that she will not have to leave her parents' house.
However, the authorities told the "Boten" that the law applies. Salamin is supposed to clear her belongings and leave the house by Monday. In November or December, the Salamin house, which was a symbol of her youth and a place of refuge for Manuela Salamin, is to be demolished.
Salamin is also worried about the fate of her animals - a dog and two parrots that she used to look after. Her family also fears the consequences: The demolition costs could be expensive for the Salamins. Manuela Salamin is afraid of the bill - also in view of her cancer treatment. "I might soon no longer be here," she tells the "Boten" with bitterness, "then they'll have my death on their conscience."