Cabral Promises Dignity and Loans for Informal Traders

A Message to the “Mothers of the Market”

In his 8 October message, titled “My Daily Campaign Letter,” Libii saluted “the silent heroes of the informal sector,” describing them as the “nourishing lungs of Cameroon.” He painted scenes of vendors braving dawn dust and midday heat to feed families while the state “remains absent, for lack of vision.”

The candidate’s tone mixed admiration and indictment. He accused the government of decades-long neglect, over-taxation, and harassment of small traders by municipal agents. “You are treated like delinquents,” he wrote, “when you are the invisible foundation of our economy.”

Promise of a New Deal for Informal Commerce

Libii pledged to create a National Support Fund for Popular Commerce, designed to provide low-interest financing for small vendors and itinerant traders. He also promised a “human and light taxation system” adapted to micro-enterprises, improved market infrastructure, and a social-security status for informal-sector workers—including health coverage and retirement benefits.

He insisted that survival should not be taxed. “We will rehabilitate markets with clean, secure facilities where you can work with dignity,” he said, framing the reform as both economic and moral recognition.

Electoral Symbolism and Mobilisation

The letter’s emotional language recast the upcoming 12 October vote as an act of protest and pride. “Your ballot will be the cry of the markets they want to silence,” Libii told his readers. “It will be the revenge of the humble on the arrogance of the powerful.”

The message targets a demographic often courted but seldom prioritised: women who dominate street and open-market trade. Political observers note that Libii’s focus on the informal economy distinguishes him from other contenders centred on macro-projects and elite audiences.

From Words to the Ground: The Ngaoundéré Rally

Two days earlier, Libii’s Orange Wave reached Ngaoundéré, where thousands defied the rain to attend his campaign rally. Local media described an atmosphere of “fervour and hope,” with crowds chanting “Réussir ensemble”—his movement’s slogan for collective success.

Speaking after the event, a PCRN organiser told Cameroon Concord  that the candidate’s strength lies in “translating big politics into daily life.” Videos from Balafon TV showed traders and students dancing in the mud, waving orange scarves as Libii promised a government that “sees those who work before sunrise.”

A Contrast in Tone

While President Biya’s campaign emphasises continuity and experience, Libii’s message blends empathy and defiance. By addressing his letters directly to citizens—“Dear market mothers, dear valiant sellers”—he personalises a campaign that portrays the informal sector as the moral heart of the republic.

Analysts see in this strategy an attempt to capture both urban discontent and youthful optimism. “He is building symbolism around labour, humility, and service,” political commentator Nadine Ewane noted. “If it resonates beyond social media, it could expand his base in cities and towns where the Orange Wave has become visible.”

Between Hope and Hard Reality

Whether the proposed fund and social protection schemes can be realised remains uncertain. Cameroon’s informal economy accounts for more than 80 percent of employment, yet remains largely outside fiscal and banking systems. Economists warn that transforming campaign poetry into policy would require structural reforms far beyond a single presidential term.

Still, Libii’s tone strikes a chord among voters weary of bureaucracy and exclusion. For many Bayam-sellam, the promise of recognition—of simply being seen—may matter as much as money itself.

As polling day nears, his closing words capture both ambition and conviction: “The Cameroon we shall build together will honour those who feed it.”