When streets and markets can no longer be separated the law of the jungle is likely to prevail where the fittest survive outside the ambit of the law. Public space has to be planned.
This is why councils are established to provide both spatial planning and public services. Pedestrian mapping is introduced in spatial planning to ensure that different areas are allotted for the building of markets, hospitals, schools, places of worship, roads, garages, play grounds, water treatment plants, boreholes, power generation facilities and so on and so forth.
A council can only be considered to be fit for purpose if the proper demarcation of each operational jurisdiction is done in an efficient and effective manner to satisfy the demands of the residents. A creative council could provide a ground for the display of goods in a major field away from markets. This will enable vendors of different kinds to congregate and sell their wares and depart as soon as they are done. Vendors who sell their wares on a daily and permanent basis are the ones who should be provided space in the markets or rent shops.
The chaos in the Serrekunda Market shows the danger of allowing contradictory interests to clash. The authorities cannot and must not be spectators who wait until a crisis occurs before stepping in to seemingly solving them. Their duty is to prevent such crises by making sure that vendors have access to adequate markets and during feasts special locations are earmarked to host vendors prior to the commemoration of each feast. We therefore call on the Mayor and councillors to look into the problem.
