A single mother of three is pleading with the City Council to allow her to continue her food business at the entrance of Roxanne Burnham Gardens, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown –a plot of land which the Council has now leased for a Bar-B-Que pit.
The woman, one of her sons, other relatives and friends today protested for the City Council to hear her pleas.
Marisha McPherson claims that the City Council earlier this week removed her shop from the entrance of Roxanne Burnham Gardens and destroyed her food cart.
“I was here before…now they come, a man who have more than one business, they give him permission in front of me…I have one business, they took my cart and put it in the incinerator,” the woman said.
McPherson explained that her husband has been vending at the location since 2000, however, he was killed in an accident in 2014 and she took over the business. Having made several attempts to engage the city council, the woman said she was forced to turn to the Opposition People’s Progressive Party for help.
Town Clerk, Royston King in a statement Thursday said permission was granted to a group of young residents to operate a mobile food cart at the location and they will be required to pay a lease.
However, residents said they were told that the council granted permission to a businessman from Kitty to use an old container and transform it into a Bar-B-Que joint. The container is already at the location.
The woman on Friday met with PPP councillor, Bishram Kuppen and Member of Parliament, Juan Edghill.
Kuppen told News Room that the removal of the vendor was never discussed by the council.
“This is very unfair, I hope that the council will reconsider this and allow her to continue selling here because this is not a case where they’re removing anyone, this is where they had given preferential treatment to someone…I hope that this will be resolved allowing her to return here to earn for her family,” the councillor said.
Several vendors were removed from the South Ruimveldt environs on Thursday by the City Council.
