By James Chatim

Juba City Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture chairperson Marcello Swaka Lako said the recent statement issued by Central Equatoria State Chamber of Commerce leadership was politically motivated.

This came after the Central Equatoria State Chamber of Commerce Chairperson, Robert Pitia, accused Juba City Council (JCC) Mayor Christopher Sarafino Wani Swaka last week of unlawful interference in the chamber’s internal affairs for appointing Marcello Swaka as chairperson of the Juba City Chamber of Commerce.

Addressing a press conference in Juba yesterday, Swaka said he was reinstated by Juba High Court after legal appeal in December last year.

He noted that his office was unconstitutionally dissolved by the Acting chairperson of the South Sudan National Chamber of Commerce, Losidik Lukak Legge, who assigned Stephen Wani Aquilino in an illegal administrative order in June 2020.

Swaka stressed that the statement by the Central Equatoria State Chamber of Commerce was a baseless allegation and politically motivated against the Mayor of Juba City Council.

“Mr. Robert Pitia issued a statement on 17th February 2026, accusing the Mayor of Juba City Council, H.W. Christopher Sarafino Wani, of appointing me as the Chairperson of Juba City Chamber to execute his personal interests, which I consider baseless allegations and politically motivated against the Mayor of Juba City Council.”

“This claim that I am appointed by Mayor of Juba City Council is factually incorrect which undermined the Juba High Court order clearly reinstated me as the Chairperson of Juba City Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture effectively nullifying the administrative dissolution order No: 03/2020,” he emphasized.

According to him, the Mayor acted to safeguard the security of the city when Mr. Robert Pitia and his groups took the law into their hands trying to take over Markets Chamber of Commerce Sub-offices by force, which created an insecurity in all the markets within the city.