At the heart of Aïn Sebaâ Zoo, one unusual property has become a focal point for tensions over planning and collective memory. It is the former residence of the late Abderrazak Afilal, a leading figure in Morocco’s trade union movement and founder of the General Union of Moroccan Workers (UGTM), historically affiliated with the Istiqlal Party.
The roughly 1,500-square-meter villa, prominently located along the Rabat Road, now lies at the center of a sensitive debate between the demands of urban development and the preservation of a site carrying strong symbolic value.
Since the zoo reopened in early 2026 after 14 years of closure and an extensive rehabilitation program, the site has entered a new phase. Management has been entrusted to Dream Village, marking a departure from the years of disorderly administration that ultimately led to the zoo’s closure. Against this backdrop, the idea of expanding the park has gained traction.
During a recent meeting of the zoo’s monitoring committee, attended by Aïn Sebaâ-Hay Mohammadi prefect Mohamed Taouss and Casablanca mayor Nabila Rmili, a Dream Village representative raised the possibility of a land-swap arrangement involving the Afilal villa.
Under the proposed mechanism, the owner would be offered another plot of land in exchange for integrating the property into the zoo’s perimeter. The plan would be based on a mutually agreed settlement rather than expropriation, with the aim of supporting the park’s expansion and improving the visitor experience.
The proposal, however, is far from unanimous. Several local elected officials have strongly opposed it, citing the residence’s historical and symbolic significance.
Noufissa Ramhane, deputy mayor of Casablanca, and Hassan Benomar, an elected representative from Aïn Sebaâ and a member of Parliament for the district, have both expressed categorical opposition. Mayor Nabila Rmili has also rejected the proposal, siding with those who want to preserve a site associated with what some describe as Aïn Sebaâ’s “glory years” under Afilal.
Moulay Ahmed Afilal, Casablanca deputy mayor and son of the late union leader, was also present at the meeting. He remained silent, however, and did not publicly state a position on the issue.
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Questions surrounding the property’s ownership have also fed into the debate. According to information obtained by Le360, the villa was reportedly registered in the name of Abderrazak Afilal’s second wife near the end of his life, at the initiative of his son Rachid Afilal, who is also a member of Parliament for the district.
The new urban development plan, meanwhile, designates the plot as non-buildable green space, effectively ruling out any prospect of a profit-oriented real estate project of the kind previously discussed.
Until a few years ago, the villa also housed a pharmacy owned by Fatima-Zahra Afilal, Rachid Afilal’s sister, who is herself a local elected official and a member of the Casablanca City Council.
She has been known for her outspoken criticism of the governing majority at City Hall, most notably during a heated incident on July 27, 2023, when a council session was suspended before she was removed from the chamber.
