Garbage: Juba biggest nightmare

Whatever the status of Juba City, Juba is an epicenter of Southern political, cultural and socio-economic for the rest of our states. It is an important place we must all think of how to make it beautiful and make it environmentally habitable. Garbage or waste has been a major problem besetting visitors and residence of this city for long now. The first two negative things you see in Juba when you arrive for the first time when coming through Juba International Airport are the weird poster of our current leader and garbage. Now we have the place designate to be the capital of South Sudan with all the glaring challenges ranging from physical, infrastructural, legal, cultural (social) and natural (read earthquake) surrounding this town it, where do we go or begin from here?

We begin anywhere but for a civilized thinker and for the sake of proper mind set for reconstruction and rebuilding, the best place to begin is at our bodies (health). Our health matters most if we intend to rebuild Southern Sudan from its ruins of war and neglect with speed. “The sound body the sound mind”, it’s argued. This is our home and we shall do anything to keep it better whether the unity comes our way or not. Nothing is going to change the status of this city. It will remain as seat of our government whether referendum at that time reflects unity or separation. If for example 2011 event turn to be unity then we shall only confirm our current “one country two systems” status, the very status quo known here as GoNU/GoSS. But if the result becomes “two countries, two systems” status, (separation) then our new nation will inherit Juba again as the capital.  

Waste even in developed countries all over the world is a major consumer that takes away large chunk of money. Leaders at council levels often prepare themselves for this challenge as cities and towns are larger producers of waste than the rural sites. Juba in our case has been at an appalling state of garbage nightmare. Wherever you go, you find plastic water bottles or heineken cans etc lying on the streets and worse often flown over the windows of cars while driving.

There are several piles of waste materials everywhere you go in town. Food waste to be exact has a bigger portion of waste. Young men/ladies (girls) in their twenties don’t care nowadays; they chew food on our streets and drop package of that food right there in front of others. That is not our dignified culture we all know, may be from Arabs. But waste also is cause by business people or those in our markets who are becoming worse waste dumpers. They must not get away this time round! Something must come out from Gen. Makuei Deng Majuch (The Police Chief) through the ministry of Health and Environment at the GoSS or Central Equatoria State levels. Central Equatoria State has nothing virtually to do as this is indeed too much for that government or Juba Commissioner to handle.

Something must be done to clean our city by the higher level of government or do it collaboratively with the Government of Central Equatoria State or other private agencies or INGOs concerned. Our gallant SPLA men/women tried it once last year and took them nowhere. Vendors threw waste back to the streets and everywhere immediately after the SPLA left to Barracks. Mayor in the meantime therefore has the duty to start by placing even empty containers at specific places of gathering such as markets, churches, mosques, hotels, restaurants, cafeterias, football clubs and banks. He has to make few laws such as “if anyone found throwing waste on the road side or anywhere, he/she must get arrested and fine”.

We have means of passing the message (fm radios and newspapers or simple microphone mounted on a car) to educate our people about the need to protect themselves and others. Old Sudan mentality must go out our way. The mentality of lying by wearing a dirty shirt with handkerchief placed on the scholar. Few among them are now picking up and change must continue!  Believe me, its easy to see foreigners doing the same thing when it comes to dumping of waste in Juba. Some Residents in Juba are dying because of human waste discharge near their homes. Cholera struck perhaps because of waste mismanagement in Juba. This is a healthy hazard and therefore the duty of decision makers to help our people in this area of hygiene campaign for our own good. Jonglei State am told had a compulsory digging of latrine at homes as well as waste management policy; should we try this here in Juba, Hon. Drs. Pius Swaka Subek and Zachariah Monytuil Weijang over to you!