Shutting down the city…

It was an eerie drive into town last Monday… I’d gotten up especially early to head downtown to replace my phone – the most important communication device in Sierra Leone, before going to the jhr office. I managed to catch my landlords, Mala and Krishen, in their car and asked for a lift into the central part of Freetown, where they own and operate two electronic shops – Mala replaced my stolen phone at a decent cost… and I managed to salvage my phone number through a variety of folks at the mobile service provider, Zain. I’m re-united with beloved and despised phone service, in other words.

The drive from Aberdeen (my neighbourhood) through Murray Town, around Congo Cross and along Siaka Stevens Street was abnormally quiet. It was eerie… and there were more people on the street than normal. I didn’t think much of it but as we drove into the central part of downtown, Krishen noticed that many of the shops were still closed. Crowds of people were everywhere but auto-traffic, crazy motorcycles and jammed poda-podas were non-existent. The streets had been taken over by throngs of people.

Krishen, a very intelligent and sensitive man, noted the “difference” in front of his shop… and warned me, “Stephen, the shops are closed and there are too many people on the street… it could mean trouble. Stay close to the car, just in case.” Krishen and Mala were here through the conflicts in the 90s and have seen trouble in Freetown before… I took his advice very seriously.

However, I was curious… and things seemed safe. (no echoes of explosions or gunfire seemed to indicate things were relatively safe) I explored a little farther afield to discover that the Sierra Leone Drivers Union was holding a “special meeting” at the National Stadium in central Freetown. In effect, the taxi drivers, the poda-poda “boys” and every other commercial transport vehicle were “on strike” – for the morning at least. They’d gathered at the Stadium – thousands and thousands – to protest against police harassment/extortion, huge fines, unnecessary arrests and poor working conditions.

People were late for work. Students, in the midst of exams, were late getting to school. Shopkeepers didn’t open their shops in the morning. Street vendors were stuck far afield and didn’t make it to their street corners. And, it felt like the city had shut down…

Several government folks addressed the throngs of drivers and recognized the newly appointed/elected executive of the Drivers Union. The event had its problems but by 2:00 p.m. many of the commercial drivers were back on the street. Throughout the day, I could hear loud roars from very crowded poda-podas. People rode the roofs (street surfing) of the mini-vans. Taxis carrying up to ten people roared around town. And, I never knew if they were celebrating or protesting.

By Tuesday morning, the city had returned to its normal hustle and bustle complete with commercial taxis, poda-podas and motorcycles ushering people to and from work, school, shops, homes, etc.

What struck me on Monday was how precariously close this city and this country are to uprisings, violence, outbursts of anger or frustration, and so on. People, Krishen and Mala included, are wary of what might happen… what “differences” in their routines could mean… what to do IF something were to happen. They’ve seen the signs before… Being in a “post-conflict” culture means people have to be constantly vigilant, aware and ready to act – in whatever manner will keep them safe.

The city was held hostage on Monday morning… a reluctant victim of no public transport system, a reliance on commercial taxis, a sprawling geographic footprint, corruption, poverty and frustration. Thankfully the hostage-takers/commercial drivers released the city, without violence, later that day.

Learning to walk before running…
Stephen