What led to Kalisto’s sad end at JCC?

The recent and unprecedented removal of the former mayor of the Juba City Council, Kalisto Lado, caught many by surprise and sent shockwaves of mixed reactions about a man who was considered the engine of Juba’s transformation.

With no reason assigned for the dismissal, people have been left to drool and guess at what may have triggered such a change.

But at the back of everything, signs of blame games have now emerged from Central Equatoria State leaders, which could give a hint of political tension, and potential fallout that led to Lado’s removal.

On separate occasions, Central Equatoria State officials, including Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony, Minister of Local Government and Law Enforcement, Moro Isaac Jenesio, and the deputy Mayor for Physical Infrastructure, Thiik Thiik Mayardit, have issued statements blaming  Kalisto Lado in one way or another.

Governor Adil           

In his speech during the swearing-in ceremony of the new mayor, Alla-Jabu, on Wednesday, Governor Adil blamed the former Juba City Council administration led by Kalisto Lado for imposing high taxes on traders and directed the incoming mayor to correct the mistake.

Blame games

Adil called on Alla-Jabu to work closely with the line ministries within the state to address the issue of multiple taxes that had subjected traders to endless lamentations.

He was even categorical that the rot had deepened with some corrupt officials collecting illegal levies in his name.

“There are some few [officers] of the Juba City Council who put on their uniforms and communicate wrongly and [give] untruths to traders and citizens while collecting taxes,” Adil told Alla-Jabu “I have been told that there is money collected in my name; we need to take action now.”

He continued, “Your job [as a mayor] is to change the attitude of our people who are littering [the city] anyhow. We must correctly do things because it is the city where everybody from different places lives. All the actions we are taking must meet the international standards.”

“Keep Juba clean and safe because it is the national capital and has to have a national and international [image].” 

Jenesio blamed the Kalisto-led administration for breaking the law by conducting an independent demolition without involving other line institutions in the state.

This is after Mr Lado embarked on several projects, including clearing and widening roads within Juba by demolishing structures that some people deemed unfit and relaying a bad image of the city.

Jenesio, who sounded anger by the level of demolition going on within Juba during Kalisto’s eight-month stint, insinuated that the former mayor did not consult with the line ministries.

“As we do demolition, there are criteria, the line ministries should be involved. We don’t want to be sued by those who have been victimised by the government of the central equatorial state.

“We want to see a change in the Juba City Council because the relationship between the Juba City Council and business communities is a gap and they want to sue the council,” he said. 

Promise to change

Last Saturday, while addressing traders whose shops were demolished during the reorganisation campaign by Kalisto, the Deputy Mayor for Infrastructure and Development, Thiik Thiik Mayardit, apologised to the business community over the issue of high taxation.

“To be honest, on the issue of over-taxation of businesspersons by the Juba City Council, I have accepted it. I do not deny it. Yes, it is true that there is higher taxation on traders.”

“On behalf of Juba City Council, I apologise through media houses here that please, an institution is an institution and we are apologising because we are leaders and for anything that has happened,” Thiik said.

He added, “If there is any mismanagement, which our people find to be unlawful, let me apologise again to the people of South Sudan that we are going to correct the mistakes very soon and later.”

In addition, the Deputy Mayor for Finance and Planning, Solomon Pitia, promised that Juba City’s administration would lower the high taxes.

“We understand you people have been taxed highly, but take it from me as acting Mayor of the Juba City Council that we are going to make sure that the high taxes are reduced,” said Pitia three days later, after the dismissal of Kalisto.

“You South Sudanese, you have been in a war, so you have no capital. Therefore, we need to encourage you to compete with the foreigners,” said Mr Pitia.

‘I am clean’

However, on Wednesday, Kalisto defended his actions, saying as a mayor, his duty was ‘not to please anybody’.” He said he was in the office to implement the laws of the land to make Juba City shine like other cities.

He stressed that he would not regret the projects implemented by his administration as long as they conformed to the law.

 “I meant what I was doing, and I was doing it according to the law. So, I am proud, I came proud, and I am going back proud. I remain the messenger and son of Central Equatoria State. “

“South Sudan must be organised whether people like it or not. “We must abide by the law, the demolition continues, roads must be opened, and the plantation of trees in the city must continue,” said Kalisto on Wednesday this week.