Yiep Joseph
Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Cabinet discussed the land policy and recommended that it be rectified by the lawmakers to enable South Sudan to deal with the endless cases of land grabbing.
Addressing the media after the cabinet meeting yesterday, the Minister of Information, Communication Technology, and Postal Service, Michael Makuei, said the cabinet made the move after listening to the presentation from the Minister of Land, Housing, and Urban Development.
Makuei said that regardless of the pre-existing laws, such as the Land Act and the supporting laws in the transitional constitution, there have been many problems associated with land that remain persistent.
“Issues of land in South Sudan are some of the major problems that we have been living with ever since, even though the provisions of the constitutions are very clear and the policies of the Land Act are very clear,” Makuei said.
Makuei said the policy is intended to highlight the details such as the processes for the ownership of land, its control, the administration, use and sustainable management of the land.
He said that the Cabinet passed the land policy and directed the Minister of Land, Housing and Urban Development to also present it to the Assembly.
“The presentation was made and after deliberation, it was passed by the cabinet, and the minister was directed to present the same to the National Legislative Assembly for consideration,” he said.
He added that the policy would educate the public to understand the meaning of land and how to manage it.
However, Makuei blamed some members of the public for misinterpreting land laws, appealing for everyone to read the law regarding ownership and regulation of land.
“The constitution of South Sudan says land is owned by the people of South Sudan, not by the communities of South Sudan, and the government shall regulate its usage. This is very clear, and as such, there is no way where people can decide to misinterpret the provisions of the constitution,” he said.
In October, the lawmakers at the Central Equatoria State Legislative Assembly voiced concerns regarding the escalating cases of land grabbing, particularly in Juba County.
Their apprehension stems from a report presented to them by members of the Juba County Parliamentary Caucus, which identified land grabbing as a primary contributor to insecurity within Juba County.
The report highlighted a disturbing increase in cases of land grabbing, particularly in the payams of Kworojik, Luri, Mangala, and Lobonok, among others.
During their deliberations, the state parliamentarians recommended that the state Ministry of Housing and Physical Infrastructure and the Ministry of Local Government and Law Enforcement establish measures to curb the rampant cases of land grabbing, which have in some instances resulted in the loss of lives.
Among the recommendations was the call for the state government to reclaim public land, including playgrounds and other open spaces, and put them to their intended use.
Source: The City Review South Sudan
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