City Mayor seeks to justify vending outside Muneshwer’s, despite High Court order

Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 January 2024, 14:16 by Denis Chabrol

City Mayor Alfred Mentore on Tuesday sought to justify his position that vending would be allowed outside Muneshwer’s store on Water Street opposite Bounty Supermarket, although there is a High Court order prohibiting the placement or leaving of objects on the pavement and on streets nearby.

“As long as nothing is left but persons are there overseeing whatever they bring there, they’re not leaving it. They are accompanying it… They leave it overnight, the City Engineer is empowered to remove it,” he told a news briefing.  He said the Council would be meeting next Monday to discuss the issue of vending and seek legal advice.

While he argued that Water Street is a public road, he could not say which are streets or roads that fall under the responsibility of  City Hall. He said central government should have been enjoined in the court case.

The High Court order by Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire,  seen by Demerara Waves Online News,  states clearly that the City Engineer is directed to enforce the city-bylaw by removing anything whatsoever left, placed or stored such as to encumber the pavement or pavements and street or streets situated around Muneshwer’s property situated at Lots 9-10 Water, Commerce and Longden Streets.

The Mayor, in his remarks on Tuesday, emphasised that leaving the items overnight would be problematic but sought to d0wnplay the placement of things on the road and pavements.

Asked whether he believed that he was flouting the Court order, the Mayor said, “I don’t believe that we are in relation to this but that is for one of our attorneys to advise.” Ahead of next Monday’s council meeting , Mr Mentore said the judge made certain decisions based on a section of the Municipality’s by-laws. “At the end of the day, the streets is somewhere that we have to monitor and regulate… It’s difficult for the judge to say you can’t use your streets in whatever fashion or form,” he said.

He said it would be an “anomaly” if the Town Clerk, Candace Nelson goes ahead and orders the removal of the vendors.

Against the background of the majority of vendors are believed to be mainly supporters of the People’s National Congress Reform-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Mr Mentore was asked whether he was struggling to preserve his political support among the vendors. In response, he said that was not the case but he was marrying a bit of politics, business and reality.

Councillors Gregory Fraser said “we cannot throw the vendors off the streets” and there was need for the Mayor and City Council and central government would have to work together to address widescale street vending across Georgetown. “We all condoned it. We allowed it to happen from its inception, but what has happened now: It’s growing out of proportion and we need to control it,” he said.

Mayor Mentore said eventually vendors would have to be relocated to the bazaar on Water Street, inside Stabroek and Bourda Markets where upper level stalls would be constructed. He also said street vendors, who have market stalls, would be asked to return the markets.

Banks DIH Limited at the weekend announced plans to take legal action to remove vendors from outside Demico House, Stabroek because of a slump in sales there.