CES chairperson Chamber of Commerce Pitia Robert - Courtesy

Central Equatoria’s Chamber of Commerce has requested Juba City Council and the Islamic Council to await a court verdict over their ownership claims of 200 shops at Konyo-konyo market.

Both institutions reportedly continue to collect ground rent fees from the shopkeepers and at times harass them.

Robert Pitia, who is the chamber commerce chairperson told Eye Radio, the conflicting parties should stop taking fees from renting traders, until the matter is resolved in court.

“I call on the two parties to settle this dispute through the court to know the ownership of these shops .so we find out is it belong to city or Islamic council,” he said.

Last year, the city council filed a case in court against the Islamic Council, claiming it owns the Konyo-Konyo market shops.

The state chamber of commerce’s call comes after the city council issued an order banning the Islamic council and other unauthorized entities from collecting money from the retailers.

Pita said the traders need to know who they are specifically dealing with, and urged the two bodies not to take the laws in their hands.

“As I said the court can decide who is the owner of the land. Let them not take the laws in their hands go in the markets intimated and harassing and closing the shop this is an acceptable,” he said.

“We are in civilize world we stay in a country where there is law and order if you have right go to court the court will give right then to go and intimating people on the ground harassing them this is wrong.”