By Vanessa Braithwaite

THE saga concerning the building of a toilet at the northern entrance of the Mackenzie Municipal Market ended with a vote on Friday at a public consultation at the market square.Construction of the toilet, which began weeks before Local Government Elections, received unfavourable responses from the market vendors, who protested the construction, calling for a halt on the very day it started.

Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland and councillors held a consultation with the vendors, and the issue of the toilet was raised. He revealed that, two days after being elected, he respectfully instructed the builder to engage him at his office for discussions on the issue.

The builder, who was present at the consultation, stood up and shouted: “That’s a damn lie! That’s a damn lie! It was one day!” The man was rebuked for his rudeness by all present at the consultation, who requested that he leave the area because he had disrespected the Mayor.

The Mayor continued to address the angry crowd, which began to shout, “Break down the toilet!”

Mayor Holland then revealed to the people that he had begun receiving threats from “persons in high office, even as late as today, to not touch the issue”.

He told the people that the matter is currently being handled by the Minister of Legal Affairs, and he has refused to allow threats to deter him from making a decision that would benefit the people, whom he said would vote whether the toilet should be built or not.

“Should that one issue be to the satisfaction of that one man and his friends, or to the entire market and the people of Linden? Today, the decision will be made by the people,” he said.

The Mayor then revealed that it was unfair for the old Council to have made a decision to grant this particular individual the legal permission to build a toilet facility at such a questionable location days before they would have left office.

APPLICATIONS DENIED
What is more worrying, the Mayor said, is that many persons had applied for the same spot to pursue other business ventures, but they were all denied, to the benefit of one man.

The vendors then revealed that, for more than a decade, they were fighting for the removal of the dumpsite that was located where the toilet is being built, and they were always confronted with the excuse that there was nowhere else to dump garbage. Within three days, however, the garbage was moved to facilitate the toilet building.

“That is the way this town used to be run, but as your mayor, (that type of behaviour) is finished as of today. No longer will this town benefit friends and family. Why should the rich get richer and the poor get poorer?” Mayor Holland asked.

The building of the toilet provokes issues of sanitation and stench that will emanate from the area. A draining pipe that would filter water into the toilet in case of leakage and a transformer located directly above the building also pose issues for consideration.

The Mayor has said that, even before taking office, he consulted with the vendors on the issue and most were in disagreement with the facility being constructed there.
As a servant of the people, he said, he would be a voice for the people and would represent them.

“I have nothing to fear. I am from Poker Street, I am a Wismar man; and those who know the people of Wismar (would know that) we represent,” the Mayor declared.
“Are you trying to tell me I’m soft?” he asked.

The mayor disclosed that he had sought legal advice on the matter and was instructed to send the builder a letter. It was also revealed that the contract was breached as the toilet is being built outside of the stipulated demarcation in the contract, and with this breach, the contract can be terminated.

“That’s the first place you went wrong sir, and you breached that contract; and by right, the Linden M&TC have all right to bulldoze (the building),” the Mayor said.

The vendors were then invited to vote on the issue, and they unanimously voted to scuttle the building of the washroom