Douala 5: Demolition leaves businesses in the cold
By Shanta Sih
Agents of the Douala 5 Council on Friday, May 05, 2023, carried out a demolition exercise in the municipality. The areas affected were the market roundabout Makepe.
More than 20 shops and business sites were destroyed, leaving homes and businesses in shambles. The owners of these business sites say the demolition exercise is a very bitter pill for them to swallow.
” The council agents came earlier just like two days ago asking us to move out of the areas but to be honest I thought it was all a joke because usually, I know for demolition to be carried out, owners of the properties must be informed months before the exercise. So we stayed back silently. Then of a sudden, they appeared yesterday with machines ready to destroy properties. We could not even say a word” Marcel Tchomo a shop owner lamented.
” I just invested over 4 million into this shop but now, they have destroyed everything. I feed my entire family from the sales. Now everything has gone down. They did not even let me pack up my valuables” Morell Efundem said.
” It is not normal that people wake up one morning to see their shops destroyed. At least a notice should be given. We are about 21 and we are all fathers and mothers with house rents to pay and children to feed. We are tired and we do not know where this government is driving us to. This is totally inhuman and it hurts deep” another shop owner poured out his frustration.
One of the business owners said he has legal documents with authorization from the Mayor but cannot understand why his business was destroyed.
” A lot of complaints, attacks, and insecurity. A notice was given to the victims for relocation. Cameroonians are stubborn” Head of intervention unit Douala 5 told reporters.
The head of the intervention unit of the Douala 5 council police further said the action is to fight against urban disorder and make out space to construct modern toilets. Meantime, victims of the demolition say they are expecting the government to compensate them so they can manage with their families.
