Gudele playground, or an empty land adjacent to Zain - Credit: Aluel

The empty land adjacent to Zain in Gudele is not public land but private property, Commissioner of Juba County has said.

Commissioner Charles Joseph Wani says the deployment of security apparatus to the open space locally known as Zain Playground in the Gudele area, is to protect the land belonging to an individual.

The ground was known for cultural and sporting activities including football.

However, to the dismay of the residents, the ground was cleared, and well-armed security forces were deployed to the place.

When contacted, Juba County Commissioner told Eye Radio that land belongs to an individual with a legal document.

The unnamed person leased the land during the reign of Governor Clement Wani Konga in 2013.

“This issue has been there for some months back and the documents show it’s an individual plot since 2013 which was issued by the ministry of housing [CES] during the time of [Governor] Clement,” Commissioner Wani explained.

“They [CES] sold it to that gentleman with very big money, so, with that legality as the commissioner of Juba, I don’t have the right to stop him in his activities because he has paid the money to the government,

“If he has paid the money to the government like any other individual who has an empty plot, and if it has taken a long time without any development or activities then the people always came to use it as a playground,

“This is not a playground, and in a real sense it’s the right of the owner and he [owner] deserves to be given protection over his properties.”

Commissioner Wani says the deployment is a result of tension between some land grabbers and the plot owner.