VP James Wani Igga | Courtesy

Vice President for Economic Cluster Dr. James Wani Igga warned “corrupt” individuals working in land management institutions against issuing title deed to more than one owner, to avoid land-related conflict.

Speaking at the conclusion of a three-day workshop on Thursday to review national land policy in Juba, Dr. Wani Igga said illegal land dealing among some government officials is partly contributing to land grabbing and violence in the country.

“Some people are bribed in order to give out land that belongs to somebody else, and these people end up shooting themselves, killing themselves,” said Igga.

Vice President Igga criticized institutional corruption, saying the root cause of land-grabbing conflict is within corrupt individuals in the government.

“Comrades if we don’t bury corruption, corruption will bury South Sudan… yes. We have become number one most corrupt country in the World do you know that?” said Wani.

The senior presidency official rebuked corrupt government officials and said the country must exercise transparency and use land for economic growth like other African countries.

“We came from the liberation struggle like hyenas, hungry and ready to take skins of an animal, no we must be responsible people like other countries.”

Conflicts related to land grabbing and unlawful allotment of land are frequently reported in many parts of the Equatoria region, especially in the capital, Juba.

Last weekend, Juba County authorities told Eye Radio that two army officers were arrested for illegally printing and selling fake land tokens to the public.

Another related incident was four months ago, when residents of Jondoru area, West of Juba clashed with land grabbers resulting in score of injuries.

Several plot owners also fought with land grabbers in Khor William area, Garbo among others in the last three years.

On Tuesday, the national Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development invited over one hundred delegates from the states and national level to review the draft land policy.

The document known as the National Land Policy 2022 sets out land management strategy which spells out government’s land objective and building principles for the finalization of the policy.

Chapter one and two of the document contain background information to the policy including the land sovereignty, its vision and goal, while chapter three and four outline the proposed Land Policy statements and information on legislative development and reforms.

The final chapter provides for the implementation methods and the role of government institutions.

During its conclusion, the participants suggested that the policy should spell clearly the roles of different government institutions in managing lands.

They also added that the policy should address land disputes, land grabbing and land reforms as well protect farming land.

Speaking at the event, Central Equatoria State Minister of Lands, Housing and Public Utilities Flora Gabriel also admitted institutional corruption in the government.

“There are so many malpractice anywhere. You cannot trust anybody doing something like land, land is an economic value,” she said.

Flora Gabriel believes the national land policy due to be endorsed by the cabinet will help regulate those loopholes.

“But as a Ministry, when we have all these laws or policies, we are going to put other laws which will guide our administration in the Ministry concerning our process, how are we going to allocate the land and we have to monitor.”

For his part, the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Michael Chiengjiek said he is soon going to table the policy to the cabinet in the next 30 days.    

“Everything is captured and we are now going to give the document to the technocratic to put it in a better shape and after they made the proof writing, the proof reading and everything.”

“I will table this to the cabinet and after that to the parliament. And will come defiantly one of the law of this country hopefully 30 to 40 days.”