After pulling down some shops in the neighbourhood a forth night ago, caterpillars of the Yaounde City Council last Thursday erased some tattered buildings in the market.

It was a black day, for some vendors at the Nkol-Eton market in the nation’s capital last Thursday. Their shops were completely pulled down. The incident which occurred by mid-day October 7th, and executed the Yaounde City Council’s caterpillars was welcomed with mixed feelings. While the quarter head lauded the initiative by the council to bring order to the vicinity which has been characterised for some time by disorder, confusion and filth, business people see it as a means by the council authorities to send them to the streets.

According to Jacques Etoundi Mballa, quarter head, the city council after pulling down some shops in the neighbourhood a forth night ago, gave owners of dilapidated shops and containers along the road a one-week ultimatum to relocate. After pleading with the council authorities for ample time that could enable owners to relocate, the one-week delay extended to two. After futile efforts by the authorities to dissuade vendors with containers, dilapidated shops and occupants of kerbsides, the last option was to take the bull by the horns. The last trip to the market Thursday was therefore to demolish the shops and make kerbsides freer. According to the City Council, the move is to enable construction work to widen the road so as to make traffic fluid and give a facelift to the neighbourhood.

However, some containers and an old flat timber hut are yet to be destroyed as sources say they are host to wanton electricity connection. The City council has therefore warned and promised owners to get rid of them before he makes another stop-over to the neighbourhood in a week’s time.

Three days after dispersing road side vendors in the locality, business is slowly coming back. Road side fruit vendors who have been asked to quit in order to give a clean look to the highway are back in full gear while other vendors who suffered the demolition could be seen gathering the rubble. At the market, business is waxing on strong though a handful of victims are yet to reconcile with the Yaounde Urban Council for its move to disperse them.

It should be recalled that last month, some shops in the market were razed by a fire incident that left victims desperate. A fort night ago, caterpillars of the Yaounde City Council made a first stop-over in the neighbourhood in continuation of their effort to beautify the city of Yaounde..