By Nelson Manneh
Vendors who were forcefully evicted from the Latrikunda Sabaji Market along the Brikama Westfield highway, have finally been settled at the Buffer Zone to continue with their business temporarily.
Those vendors who spoke to this reporter, complain of poor sales and lack of security because people are used to the area as a market and their materials are not the least safe because there is no security. At their new location at the buffer zone, some can be seen constructing their stalls while others are done and have started selling their machandise.
Sheik Njie, one of the evicted vendors, said business at the zone is the slowest he has ever experienced in this country.
“Since on Friday afternoon after our forceful eviction, I sold only two pairs of shoes. Business is too slow and there is no security here at all. Things were better at the Latrikunda market, because people pass by and there is electricity everywhere, but here there are only few bulbs and the place is very quiet,” he said.
The frustrated vendor said he was evicted because KMC officers used force on him and the rest of his colleagues.
“I was not given any eviction notice because we were told by one of the contractors that they are not going to reach our area. I was surprised when we were asked to leave that faithful Friday morning,” he said.
He said the conditions at the Buffer Zone are difficult and hard for a family man like him, to manage.
Maraima Jallow a woman in her early seventies, said the eviction was not fairly done. “It is true that some of us were given notice to relocate at the Buffer Zone but there was no date indicated. They should have notified us with adequate time for us to prepare ourselves before the eviction,” she said.
Jallow added that Government should have given a public notice so that the general public will be informed that part of the Latri kunda market will be transferred to the buffer zone.
“The reason why business is slow here is because most of our customers do not know that we are now at the Buffer Zone and this is not right,” she noted.
She urges Government to assist them inform the general public that they are now located at the Buffer Zone so that they can have improvement on sales.
At the Buffer Zone, carpenters could be seen with their tools constructing new stalls for the evicted vendors from the Latri kunda market.
