The mayor of Torit Municipal Council on Tuesday banned the selling and collection of metal scrap in residential areas of Torit town in Eastern Equatoria State.
The order follows the death of a 15-year-old boy who died after a truck carrying scrap fell on him on Sunday.
The mayor however did not disclose the punitive measures those found breaching the order will face.
Torit Mayor Mustafa Albano Zachariah told Radio Tamazuj that scrap dealers have been given a one-week ultimatum to cease their activities and that a committee has been formed to assess the trading in scrap.
“We are going to start with house owners who are gathering metal scrap in residential areas. I am going to give them one week after which there should be no scrap in residential areas.” He said. “This is a provisional order against collecting and pilling scrap in houses because these are homes and not stores for scrap. Piles of scrap present health risks, because they can keep snakes, insects, and even criminals, can hide there.”
“We are going to make a general survey to those gathering scrap in residential areas,” Mayor Albano added.
Meanwhile, Lilly Hidita Nartisio, the chairperson of the state’s chamber of commerce, welcomed the order saying it will help reduce accidents in residential areas.
“The order will help our children and the population because the scrap need to be in a place where there wide roads,” she said. “If you see the place where the truck carrying scrap got into an accident, it is a very narrow road in a suburb. So, the scrap facilities have to be far away from residential areas. On the other hand, the municipality is also supposed to open and widen these roads.”
“The road entering the market is very narrow and also needs to be widened,” Hidita added.
For his part, Kizito Julius, a dealer in scrap metal in Torit Market, said the mayor’s order will affect business and urged the government to allow scrap dealers to operate as usual.
“We will be affected but if changes come there is no way you can refuse. Most of us are mobile and move around to buy scrap and if we go far out of town then we face risks,” he said. “The government should allow us to perform our business as usual and protect us.”
“They should allow us to operate but we promise to be careful,” Kizito said.