Vendors criticize Mayor and City for demolition of Bourda stalls

Officials at the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) are once again being chastised

One man looks on at the remains of his stall hours after the Mayor and City Council workers demolished the concrete structure

by the public, this time for breaking down stalls along Bourda Street (in close proximity to Bourda market) without giving notice to the vendors who owned these concrete structures.
According to one vendor, she lives across the street of her large clothing stall and was not at home on Friday morning when officers of the M&CC began to break down the concrete walls around the shop.
She explained that she received a telephone call from someone notifying her about the situation but by the time she arrived home the damage was already done.
“I have been selling clothes and shoes here for years and I have one of the largest stalls here, not the largest, but there are others who have large space too and I would look out for those here.
“The M&CC told us in a meeting last December that they wanted us to vend in a uniform way with concrete shops, painted in green and white with sloped roofs. They just come here today (Friday) and broke down the concrete work I had done and I spent so much of money. So who will repay me now?”
Kaieteur News understands that the group of persons whose stalls/ shops were destroyed completely was also following instructions that they had received at the said meeting during last year.
“They tell us to build concrete and make us spend so much of money but all of a sudden without any notice they come and break down our structures that were freshly built.
“That is not right. The men that were doing the demolition were very arrogant and you couldn’t ask them anything. The Mayor and City Council gave us the permission and the instruction to do this yet our stalls got broken so the question is who is responsible for this and why?” one man questioned.
He also produced the relevant documents to support that he was given permission from former Deputy Mayor Robert Williams to construct his stall.
Two other women explained to Kaieteur News that they had wooden structures and upon advice from the M&CC they were told to construct concrete stalls to vend.
They utilized their savings to comply with these rules however they were surprised and angry at the actions of the M&CC.
“I was home and when I hear. I rushed down to see what was happening but by the time I get here the people gone. My friend who selling next to me try saving my stuff but the blocks were destroyed and cannot even be used again. I want to know who was so evil to do this and where I can get back my money because this isn’t right.”
More vendors in the area were also peeved at the manner in which the M&CC workers operated.
They, like the stall owners, were astonished at the sudden destruction of the stalls but could not utter a word of protest as they watched silently as the structures were broken down.
“We don’t know what really happened or why the City Council doing this when they are the ones who said we must do this in the first place. We have written permission and such but don’t know why this wickedness going on.
“We are yet to see if more stalls will be destroyed and don’t know how the stalls are being singled out,” another man added.