Ndop Mayor justifies sealing of shops, says traders chose to obey separatist fighters

Traders in Ndop, North West Region have for the past days raised worries about their shops. Stating that they were sealed, some say the council did that because they respected ghost town declared by separatist fighters.

Mayor Ntah Daniel has however refuted the allegations, stating that 99% of shops in the main market and motor parks remain open. In a communiqué, the Mayor says “only a few shops of suspected adepts of amba/terrorist movement were sealed for violating a municipal order banning ‘operation ghost towns'”.

Affected persons he adds were asked to meet the Mayor for concertation to unseal the shops even without fines where necessary.

“…they preferred to follow the directives of these armed groups to demonstrate their non recognition of the authorities” he says.

The Mayor ends by issuing a warning: “any person or group directly or indirectly indulging in acts or omisions intended to destroy the municipal seals or perturb traffic shall be exposed to administrative and judicial sanctions.”

With the conflict between government and separatists raging on, citizens have always found themselves caught up between both sides with some losing their lives in the process.