By Arret Jatta
After fights erupted between shop owners and street vendors at the Serekunda Market in the pre-Eid sales bonanzas known as “wanterr” (a corruption of vendre à terre, sell on the ground, in French) on Monday and Wednesday, the Kanifing Municipal Council summoned the parties to a meeting.
Following discussions, Mayor Talib Bensouda, announced the suspension of the sales bonanza until further notice.
Bensouda told the meeting that although he could empathise with the actions of the vendors, selling on the road is not beneficial for the country.
“Nobody wants to stand on the highway to sell. If they are doing it, it is because they lack alternatives. We know if there were office jobs where they could work under an air conditioner, they would prefer that. We empathise with them,” he noted, but said the shop owners pay rent and taxes, and pitching in front of their shops has inimical effect on their sales. He urged the vendors to be patient and avoid resorting to violence, saying discussions would continue.
During the meeting, a representative of the shop owners, Amie Jallow, contended that they pay rent and taxes and therefore should be given priority.
She urged the authorities to stop the wanterr vendors from selling in front of their shops and to allocate areas to them in the market.
On the other hand, a representative of the wanterr vendors, Fatou Cham, lamented that they took merchandise on credit to engage in wanterr and are still unable to sell their goods because of the conflict.
“Not all of us could afford to rent shops, and this is our only means of making money to support our families. So I urge you to let us sell our goods,” she pleaded.
KMC CEO, Pa Sait Ceesay, announced that the council has a D50 million project to rebuild ‘Mbarr Pa Dembo’ in Serekunda Market which will create enough space in the market for those selling in the streets to be accommodated.
