The Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) on Wednesday recommended the instant removal of the acting mayor of Juba City Council (JCC) for assaulting a female street vendor.

In a video that has since gone viral on social media, Acting JCC Mayor Emmanuel Khamis, who is also the appointed commissioner of Lainya County, is seen wielding a pistol in his right hand and physically assaulting a female vendor selling mosquito nets at the Seventh-day Adventist roundabout.

During an ordinary sitting chaired by Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba, SPLM-IO lawmaker Reath Muoch Tang who represents Nasir County in Upper Nile State said the acting mayor's cruel behaviour was a violation of the country's constitution.

"It is inappropriate for the acting mayor to carry a pistol and abuse and assault women on the road," he said. "Articles 18 and 19 of our constitution talk about freedom from torture and a fair trial. We saw a shocking video here in Juba of the acting mayor slapping women and carrying a pistol, threatening vendors and that does not reflect the picture of South Sudan." 

For her part, Grace Abalang, an SPLM lawmaker representing Ikotos County in Eastern Equatoria State, decried the acting mayor’s beating of the female vendor and recommended that Khamis be fired from all the public offices he holds.

“The mayor is not the law. As a woman representative, we are asking and requesting the mayor to apologize to the women of South Sudan or resign or the governor of Central Equatoria State should relieve him,” she charged. “There is no way a leader can act in that way so we are requesting the mayor to apologize to the women of South Sudan in writing within 24 hours or he should resign.”

“This man has violated the ethics of leadership and he does not deserve to be the acting mayor nor the commissioner of Lainya County and he has to go home because he has participated in violence against women,” Abalang added.

Reacting to the motion, Joy Kwaje Eluzai, an SPLM MP representing Juba West County, said the acting mayor abused his power by slapping the women and should be sacked.

“I am speaking as a woman in this country and saying that our women are suffering. They are on the street because they want to put food on the table. After all, most of our men do not have jobs. Now, if we are going to be slapped, if we are going to be abused in the streets of Juba, I think that is not appropriate,” she said. “It is not according to our decorum in this country, so, to me, we do not need to see the mayor. We are not even inviting or summoning the governor.”

Kwaje added: “The acting mayor is responsible for his actions and he has to leave that office and if he has an explanation to give, he should do it out of the office.”

For his part, Farouk Gatkouth Kam, the SPLM-IO chief whip, also seconded the firing of Khamis and said an apology is futile as the damage has been done.

“What can an apology do after the action has taken place? This guy has to pack and go. Ask the governor to relieve him. We are the highest authority in this country,” he said. “If someone gets to the point of slapping our women, what will he do next? He should have slapped a man like himself. And he was slapping a woman while holding a pistol so you see that there is no point of an apology here. What will an apology do? Let him pack and go.”

After deliberating on the matter, Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba ruled that the House will recommend to Central Equatoria State Governor Emmanuel Adil to relieve the Acting JCC Mayor Emmanuel Khamis from both his positions with immediate effect.

“So the resolution of the house on this matter in which the acting mayor misused his power to beat women is a human rights violation against women and therefore the house resolved to recommend to the governor of Central Equatoria State to relieve the acting mayor from both positions,” Nunu said.