Juba mayor plans mega crackdown on illicit alcohol, nightclubs

The Mayor of Juba City Council, Michael Thomas Allah-Jabu, has revealed plans to ban the sale of harmful liquor and night discos within residential areas today.

He said the unrestricted sales of small bottled spirits and night discos in residential areas were spoiling the young people in Juba City.

Among the harmful and alcoholic beverages to be banned are Star Gin, Boss Gin, London No1, Royal Special Gin, Mater Gin, B-52 Gin, Royal No1 Vodka, Cheer Vodka, Vodka Mix, Royal Blue, Prime Vodka, White Tusker Vodka, Mambuka, Premium Vodka, Fly Coconut Vodka, Prime Kiss Vodka, Ice Palace Vodka, Prime Vodka, Flirat Vodka, Golden Dry Gin, and Fan Gin.

“The consumption of these alcoholic beverages is very high among our young people, and it is affecting their health. We cannot continue to see and tolerate this further destruction. The only way out is to stop selling to our residents, ” said the mayor.

The Juba City boss made the statement during the launch of the demolition and opening of the roads at the Hong-Hong (Juba Nabari) residential area on Saturday in Juba.

“I have already drafted the local orders that will be aired on Monday, January 17, 2022, and those local orders include [ban on] sales of harmful alcohol, night discos, and night church services for all residents of Juba.”

“We also have a local order that is going to be issued next week about the closing of the shops that sell this kind of alcohol. Such kinds of alcohol are only sold in designated areas like bars, hotels, and in alcohol wholesale shops specifically in these places. “

Allah-Jabu stressed that night discos, and night church fellowships also encourage high consumption of alcoholic beverages, which always results in fights among them.

The mayor added that prohibiting it reduces mental illness and alcohol-related deaths in the county.

“We wanted to rescue them from this dilemma, and also, as Juba City Council, we have experience of seeing that every day [where] youth are dying, especially street children, because of this alcohol and some other drugs they have taken,” he stated.

Allah-Jabu said alcohol, night discos, and niggers are the major sources of crimes in Juba town.

An example of such an incident is where a gang stormed St. Kizito Parish during a mass held on December 31, 2021, and injured people.

“We are going to stop those disco places, including night church services, until further notice,” Mayor Allah-Jabu said.

 He said all security organs were ready to implement the orders once they were issued.

In November 2021, Juba County Commissioner, Charles Joseph Wani, banned the sale of harmful liquor and directed all the directors in every Payam administration to implement the directive and order.

This comes after alcohol-related deaths were reported on the outskirts of Juba. For instance, in September 2021, a young man died in Gumbo after consuming seven bottles of Royal Gin in a drinking competition. In 2020, a similar incident occurred in the Kator residential area.

The ban is similar to one enacted in August 2021 by the Eastern Equatoria State, Western Equatoria State, which restricted the importation, sale, and consumption of harmful alcoholic drinks and fermented yeast brands in the state.

The two governors, Louis Lobong Lojore (Eastern Equatoria State) and Alfred Futuyo (Western Equatoria State) said the decision was meant to avoid death and mental-related issues in the state.

But the executive orders are yet to reflect by bearing the fruits of adherence on the ground.

Earlier this year, the Commissioner of Juba County promised to summon all the Payam directors for failing to follow the directives on the sale of banned harmful alcohol.

This came after several traders continued with the sale of harmful liquor such as star gins and royal vodka, especially in residential areas.

Speaking to The City Review, Charles Joseph Wani, said all the Payam directors in Juba County would be questioned for failing to observe the order.

“We need to cooperate to stop these types of harmful alcoholic [drinks] called gins because we want to make our society free and healthy,” he said.