Beggars at war over territory

There was drama at the traffic lights in front of the British Council in Accra last Sunday when two beggars started fighting over who has the right to beg for alms around the area.

The fight, which lasted for over 30 minutes, drew a large crowd who cheered and jeered as the two beggars exchanged blows and threw objects at each other.

The beggars, a frail-looking woman and a shabbily dressed man, could not be separated by onlookers for fear of being hit by objects being thrown about by the two.

The situation created much confusion and traffic jam as the combatants moved into the road.

Many drivers and passengers got out of their vehicles to witness the interesting but scary fight while others, mostly women, could be heard screaming on top of their voices for “ceasefire”.

When finally the two were separated, the woman, who gave her name as Mama, said she has been begging around the area for the past two years and counting on the usual generousity of Ghanaians and business has not been bad at all.

She said she makes between ?30,000 and ?50,000 daily depending on a number of factors which she refused to mention.

She said areas where beggars in Accra operate have been demarcated into zones and that the area where she has been begging is the second largest zone in the Accra metropolis and is operated by about 12 beggars.

According to Mama, it is an offence for one beggar to move into another’s zone to solicit for alms.

She explained that the increase in the number of beggars at any particular zone is not welcome news for those who already operate there since any intruder may cause a reduction in the members’ finances.

Mama said she, together with other members of the zone, had noticed the presence of the man for the past three days and therefore the need to sack him. She said every effort by members to get him out of the area proved futile hence the fight.

“He is an intruder and should not be entertained here”, she fumed. The man, on his part, refused to comment on the issue.

Peace finally returned to the scene when the man started walking towards the Novotel Hotel after the woman had been joined by another colleague who also begs around the area.

The Mirror gathered that shuttling around the traffic lights at the National Theatre, the TUC, Psychiatric Hospital, Kao Kudi Junction etc. which they consider the prime areas, beggars earn a daily average income of ?65,000.

According to some of the beggars, each of them pay a minimum of ?2,000 daily to some watchmen who guard the shops where they pass the night at Okaishie.

They explained that even though they expect adequate protection from these watchmen there are some rough times when thieves invade their sleeping places, particularly the former STC head office at Okaishie and its environs and rob them of their daily earnings.

The Mirror also gathered that some of the male beggars, who are single, usually give part of their income to their girl friends, who use the money to prepare them sumptuous dishes from their homes, especially on Sundays — the main rest day — to feast. They also use part of their income to hire the services of teenage boys who guide and serve them in their daily schedules.

It was learnt that most of these boys are school drop-outs and products from broken homes. They take one-third of the income generated in a day by their “beggar masters” as their fees.

Explaining the work schedule of the boys, one beggar told this reporter that apart from leading their “masters” to vantage points in the city to beg, they also assist them in having their bath as well as attending to nature’s call.

The beggars, who are of both sexes, take their bath as late as 10 p.m. in the open after they have closed and rise up as early as 4 a.m. for a similar routine. If one is unable to have one’s bath before the stipulated times, then one cannot have a bath before embarking on the day’s business.

Begging has been outlawed in Ghana by the proclamation of the NLCD 392 which states inter alia that, “Any person found begging and any person wandering or placing himself in any premises or place for the purpose of begging may be arrested by a police officer without warrant and shall be liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment not exceeding three months or to both.”