Church demolished in Hai Gonya, Juba. (-)

The leadership of Pentecostal Brethren Church in Juba is appealing to President Salva Kiir to pressure Central Equatoria State government to return all land properties reportedly allocated to the church.

On 15^th December 2023, Central Equatoria State Ministry of Land, Housing and Public Utilities demolished Pentecostal Brethren Church building located at Hai-Gonya.

According to Pastor William Sebit Lumumba, PBC’s Gonya branch was established in 1997, and renders spiritual and physical services to about one thousand congregations.

Sebit further said the demolition was conducted without notification to the church authority, a decision that he said took them by surprise.

“We just got phone calls from passerby that people are demolishing your church building. So, we were all surprised to see such thing happening,” Lumumba narrated what the happened in an interview with Eye Radio.

“Honestly, Pentecostal Brethren Church did not originate from the outside country or land grabbers. We did not just settle in Hai-Gonya illegally.”

“We got settled there under government approval, but the process of this particular land has some open corruption scandals because we have settled in that particular place for last 27 years.”

“And those who were recently given the same land were settled in, these people were not there from the beginning.”

– ‘Persecution’ –

Pastor Lumumba accused the Central Equatoria government of practicing religious persecution and calls on President Kiir to direct an investigation into the situation.

“We are appealing to the President to act on church plots that are being taken by some other entities, for example ours which has prevented us from developing and providing basic services to the community.”

“Churches are under persecutions. Kiir should take an initiative of issuing decree to recover church land. Am also urging Governor Adil to form a committee to investigate why church buildings are been demolished.”

“This is not right. Ideally, a church building is not supposed to be demolished but rather, it is supposed to be moved to a new location in a peaceful manner.”

In response, Fred Laku, Central Equatoria State Minister of Land, Housing and Public Utilities downplayed the accusation.

Mr. Laku requested Pentecostal Brethren Church to abide with the government order.

“There is no point for argument because Pentecostal Brethren Church know the truth that, the place does not belong to them “Pentecostal Brethren Church”. They should understand and respect the system and government order of eviction.”

Minister Laku said the church should stop crying over spilt milk and move on and establish their presence in the new location that they are compensated with.

“You cannot insist on something that you know it’s not going to work. We have been so fair to an extent we compensated them compared to other places which have been demolished without compensations.”

“But because of our respect to churches, that’s why, they were compensated. Let them also understand this. Now, where will they go? Because this is same government responsible for plots allocations, directing them.”

In a letter obtained by Eye-radio dated on 25^th August 2023, Central Equatoria State governor issued appeal letter to State Ministry of Land, Housing and Public Utilities to resolve the land issue.

But Pentecostal Brethren Church said no one acted upon the governor’s appeal till now.