Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Nigel Dharamlall has given vendors at Anna Regina, in Region Two, another two weeks to halt all roadside vending and to relocate to the Bush Lot market.
Dharamlall’s announcement, delivered yesterday to some vendors, members of the Anna Regina Town Council, Vendors, and regional officials during a special meeting held in the boardroom of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), at Anna Regina, led to a protest by vendors opposed to the move.
Anna Regina has over 150 roadside vendors whose families have been vending at the same spots for over 30 years and they are adamant that they would not leave. However, Dharamlall, who called on vendors to cooperate, said the regional administration along with the Anna Regina Town Council will ensure that all the necessary facilities are available to make the vendors comfortable at the Bush Lot market tarmac location. He also that the tarmac will be paved so that they can vend comfortably. He added that when the vendors move, it will pave way for massive development in the township, including needed road works. A road project at Anna Regina has already been delayed by three weeks due to vendors not wanting to move.
However, when news spread to vendors of the new two-week deadline—the latest they have been given—they staged another protest. The protest, held outside of the RDC’s office, saw vendors standing
outside with their placards waiting to see Dharamlall. The placards read: “Minister you told us to build and now you want us to break”, “We are not going to no burial ground with no dead,” “We are poor and should be allowed to Vend”, “The PPP told us to build what they want we break now”, and “Who will support our livelihood when we move and don’t get business,” among other things.
Those who spoke to the media were very hostile, while affirming that if their stalls are broken they would build them back.
The protest was organised by PNCR Region Two Chairman Prince Holder, who was chanting for the vendors to stay. Speaking to reporters, the vendors maintained that they would not move while stating that the Bush Lot area is next to a burial ground and they were not comfortable there. They also stated that the market would not have sufficient stalls for them. Vendors are holding out that their parents sold at their current locations and they have inherited the spots for years and no government has ever told them to move.
They believed that they are being discriminated against by the government despite their attempts to earn an honest living.
This newspaper understands that the Anna Regina Town Council had plans to dismantle the roadside stalls on Wednesday night but these were thwarted as the vendors were alerted.
Some vendors have said that if their stalls are broken down without their knowledge then they will be rebuilding them.
