The NTUCB calls it a peaceful revolution and tonight, it has Belizeans across the city making it with only a trickle of water. The outage which we are told is a product of maintenance work and not industrial action has affected mainly residences on the south side which are right now still without water, while there is low water pressure reported in some areas on the north side. But a full outage is still in the works and water unionists tell us that the best advice they can offer to city residents is that they should bathe and get their reservoirs full early tomorrow.
But that's only a small part of tomorrow's worries as schools and businesses will be shut down all in protest of the Musa administration's new tax measures. We'll have comment from the teacher's union leader in just a few minutes ago as our news team caught up with the NTUCB group at a special planning meeting that is going on right now. But, first.... today, the fear of shortages created a consumer panic across the city as shoppers thronged stores buying the kinds of supplies that typically would only be used in a hurricane. 7NEWS was on the streets for the disaster readiness shopping frenzy.
Keith SwiftReporting,
Today Belizeans were preparing for the worse.
Shopper #1,
"Preparing for this thing like it is a hurricane because without water and light, you can't eat and you can't bathe and you know women have to bathe."
Shopper #2,
"This reminds me of when they had Heads of Agreement when all the stores were broken up. I could remember because I got tear-gassed and I can remember about it. All the stores downtown, Orange Street, Albert Street, King Street, all the stores were broken up. It was a real riot and I can never forget about that."
It is not the Heads of Agreement or a natural disaster but today Belizeans were filling carts and reaching deep into their mid-week pockets to prepare for a mass shutdown of businesses. So what were people buying? We looked into the carts of frenzied shoppers at Publics Supermarket.
Shopper #1: I am stacking up on a little food because I need to feed my grandson. I don't worry about me but my grandson. I have some eggs and things, which I could use. Like for bread I bought my flour because I can knead and make my little fry cake. But I am telling you water is gone so I had to use a little milk pan to wash my underarm.
KS: _What are you expecting to happen?
Shopper #1: I am expecting the worse to come and no better; the worse.
AN: Where is the money coming from to buy this?
Shopper #1: Well I had to go borrow a little money. This is money I borrowed to do some shopping because I am broke and I have to work tomorrow so this is like hurricane.
Shopper #3: The water is already cut off so I am just stacking up on supplies to last me the next few days because they say water going, light going, and phone going.
KS: What do you think will happen?
Shopper #3: I am really not sure man but I am just preparing.
KS: So what are you buying?
Shopper #3: Well just little groceries man, the basics.
Shopper #4: Well brown sugar and basic things.
KS: What are you expecting? Are you expecting for us to be blacked out from everything the next couple days?
Shopper #4: Yes.
KS: So how are you able to afford all this in the middle of the week?
Shopper #4: Well something has to happen. I have to get money from somewhere.
KS: So these are the necessities?
Shopper #4: That's right. You know you have like your noodles and macaroni and cheese...
KS: How long do you expect all of this to last you?
Shopper #5: Well I have some home left over from the Christmas holiday so this is just to add on to what I have.
KS: You are stocking up on candles.
Shopper #2: Yes, I am getting candles because I heard no light and you have to have light right.
KS: And then I see you have flour and...
Shopper #2: Flour and rice. These are the staple foods right and I could make fry cake and tortilla.
But tortillas is not the only concern of the people, today lines of cars cued up to fill up on gas as the frenzied mood of uncertainty possessed city dwellers as well as those living out of the city.
Driver,
"You need that for transport because I live up north and if I want to go out this weekend now is the only time I can buy gas."
The mass shutdown will be a mass inconvenience but for one driver it's worth it.
Driver,
"I'm glad people are taking a stand though. We need to take a stand as a whole country together. Me personally I think it is a good move so we just have to keep on praying and ask the Lord to guide us and guide our Ministers and thing. I believe this country really need prayers right now."
