Those who had abandoned the city were now flocking back?

In the beginning, there was always business done in the capital, everyone involved in trade had a product or other business idea and needed any type of office space to provide their services, making sure they could find some city space to conduct their trade.

Cities were owned by the rich, housing by the elite, and the common people used the sidewalks or roadsides to eke out a living, especially those involved in agriculture.

See, merchants and big businesses decided to expand their operations, so they looked for other towns and new business locations and areas, and soon Castries became a decaying city.

All the wealthy business potential people seek the North (Rodney Bay to be exact) and invest in the seaside and other locations they consider wealthy to sustain their daily lives.

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Years later, after Castelli’s death, they now want it back.

It was the ordinary people, the common military, the publicans and the small businesses that kept the city of Castries afloat, but life has become a challenge now and it is all about trying to help yourself by making money, being self-employed or being employed by someone who can pay you.

Now the city council is acquiring every possible space as a means of acquiring wealth, while the average male and female crook is only given a cubicle, a mini-storage room to survive, without proper layout or display advantages.

Some vendors are happy to be empowered because a small space is better than no space, but this has not been factored into the urban regeneration development plan to give them a better chance of ensuring survival that customers can see better.

The few empty lots in the city left by demolitions, fires, and structural defects now serve as parking lots, generating revenue for the state, and soon all street parking will also support state revenue.

Other spaces, such as the gardens (Park George V), which still function as cultural and historical sites but also as parking lots, must be transformed rather than adapted to the development of urban vending machines.

So for people who want to be suppliers, they can get concessions because they can’t rent because the actual rent in the city is too high, and buying a property is impossible, and space can only be obtained under state regulation.

Overall, the city’s prospects for development and expansion do not include the general population, namely the Malawians, as this group is not included in the state’s plans.

Some ministers give symbolic help for the sake of political support, but greater urban planning and regeneration will not be replaced by real planning.

Therefore, I believe it is time to redesign the City of Castries to meet the needs and wants of the masses, rather than the minority who are often considered the electorate.

Our society is diverse and everyone wants a share of the benefits, so we all have rights and need privileges, but plans for tomorrow need to be adjusted.