Security officers warned against imposing illegal fines on traders
Juba City Council has warned security forces in the city to refrain from extorting traders in the name of enforcing orders prohibiting the sale of spirits.
This comes after the city council said it had learnt of some security officers who had turned the Juba City Mayor’s order into a cash cow where they fined the traders without the consent of the city council.
Mayor Michael Lado Allah-Jabu issued a series of local directives earlier this month, aiming to control and regulate the distribution, consumption, and sale of alcoholic beverages in local stores in residential areas.
Popular spirits include Royal GIN, Rhino Waragi, Star GIN, Boss GIN, Disco GIN, Okapi GIN, Chief GIN, Golden GIN, London No. 1, Red GIN Blended, and others.
At a press conference in Juba yesterday, Allah-Jabu said no one was supposed to take the laws into their own hands without involving the city council.
“There is no other body that will take the responsibilities in order to implement any other action, operation, or campaign to confiscate [property] or fine any person who is selling banned items within the residential areas without the presence of Juba City Council authorities,” he said.
“That is to make it clear to every one of us that, the sector commanders, the police division within Juba will not take those responsibilities without the presence of authorities of the Juba City Council,” Allah-Jabu stated.
He added that any arrest or confiscation of property of someone found selling illegal items must be brought to the attention of Juba City Council authorities, whether within Juba or at city council headquarters.
According to the orders issued this month, the city council only directed alcoholic beverages, beers, and spirits such as Royal Gin, Star Gin, Rhino Waragi, and all other locally manufactured and imported brands to be sold and distributed in places that are specifically registered, licensed, and authorized.
They include hotels, first-class restaurants, wholesale agents, bars, lodges, and guest houses.
It further prohibited alcoholic beverages such as those mentioned above. They are not to be sold, distributed, or consumed in residential houses, tea shops, or any other local eating establishment throughout the city.
However, the leadership also directed the hotels, restaurants, and bar owners not to sell alcohol early in the morning during working weeks.
“The consumption of alcohol in the working days must be from five in the evening up to 11 pm at night only on the weekends.” From morning to night, the above-mentioned categories are free to open their bars for the consumers to buy, “he added.
“We are not banning the consumption of alcoholic beverages within Juba City, but we are banning the use of alcoholic beverages in an authorised place,” Allah-Jabu continued.
Meanwhile, Thiik Thiik Mayardit said city council orders were meant to regulate the consumption of alcohol among the country’s youth, adding the orders were going to be implemented.
He said it was high time for the sellers of those banned alcoholic beverages to take their rightful place as directed by the authorities.
Directives
In addition, the order forbids the consumption of all common types of health-harmful drugs (marungi, opium, bangi, solution, and others) in the Juba City Council.
It is against the distributing or sale of these alcoholic beverages and spirits to or through any unauthorised retail shops, vendors, groceries, or business entities.
The sale of alcoholic beverages, beers, and spirits to minors is strictly prohibited under any circumstances.
Distributing agents of these alcoholic beverages, beers, and spirits are restricted to licensed wholesale agents, hotels, and first-class restaurants and bars only.
Alcoholic beverage and spirit packaging in small volumes (100 ml, 200 ml) or less is discouraged, and production companies are instructed to review their packaging modalities immediately.
Penalties
In the event of a violation of the terms of this local order, punitive measures shall be used as provided for by the Juba City Council. By-laws, Penal Code, Criminal Act.
NPSS, Drug and Food Authority guidelines, and any other applicable law in the Republic of South Sudan.
