Business leaders in Juba have accused the Juba City Council (JCC) and the county administration of unlawfully interfering in the affairs of the Central Equatoria State Chamber of Commerce while imposing steep market fee increments they say are worsening the cost of living in the capital.
At a press conference held in Munuki on Tuesday, Chamber officials alleged that city authorities had attempted to dismiss and replace its leaders without legal mandate, deepening an institutional dispute now spilling into the broader economic landscape of the city.
The dispute underscores broader governance tensions in South Sudan, where statutory boundaries between public authorities and private institutions are frequently contested.
Robert Pitia, chairperson of the state chamber, rejected a letter issued by the county commissioner seeking to remove a chamber official and appoint a successor. He maintained that the chamber is an autonomous private-sector body and not subordinate to county structures, describing the directive as invalid.
He further accused JCC Mayor Christopher Sarafino Wani Swaka of reinstating a suspended official who had been facing allegations of financial impropriety. According to Pitia, the mayor allegedly facilitated the individual’s return to office under security protection, despite the chamber’s internal disciplinary action.
Chamber representatives argue that any such intervention undermines established governance procedures and erodes institutional independence within South Sudan’s fragile regulatory framework.
Stephen Wani Aquilino, who heads the chamber under the Juba City Council structure, said no provision in the Local Government Act places the chamber under municipal authority. He called for dialogue but lamented what he described as a breakdown in engagement between the parties.