Boda-boda riders in Torit town on Wednesday in big number came to Eastern Equatoria State secretariat demonstrating the ban in their business activities.
According to Radio Emmanuel, they demanded exemption or other possible ways that will not affect their business and their families.
Martin Lupwonya, Boda-boda rider in Torit, said the ban has affected them in a sense they will not be able to feed their families and appealed to government to listen to the cry of the youth.
‘We are staying as Boda-boda, many of us don’t have work, the work that we do is just that boda-boda in the evening you get something for family, people to buy food but since the order the situation has worsened, if you need something there is no way’, he said.
Lupwonya said ‘we in the boda-boda business we are not from one tribe or one family, we are appealing to you the government to find better ways of helping us, there are women, our mothers, fathers, lame people they can’t walk long distance even pregnant women if you get on road you can’t help .young children and sick people you can’t help we know about this virus but please find away to help us’.
Another rider, Juma Moses Abaha said if nothing is done, crimes will be on the rise in the town which he says affects the society
Boda-boda business is the only way they can do to feed their families during this corona virus pandemic and economic crisis.
‘We are not refusing, we don’t have idea of fighting or strike, but we came peacefully, we need out right as citizens this is the only work that helps us in Torit here now if you stopped us tomorrow if I go stealing I will be arrested and jail and this is not good it pains me. I will be parking this bike in the house but tomorrow if I broke someone shop then I should not be arrested. I don’t have money, there is nothing I can eat, all of us are suffering including others outside there, and there is no money’, he cautioned.
Former Torit State Secretary-General Emmanuel Ochiti Attafiano admitted that the corona virus issue has affected the population including tea sellers in several ways.
He assures boda-boda riders that their complaints would be forwarded to Juba and resolve as soon as possible.
‘These problems of yours will be solved because it is not only you affected but we have people preparing tea, hardware dealers it also affected them. Because it came from central government we will ensure it is sent to them. I repeat public gathering like this in times of coronavirus it is bad in case there is problem please sent your representatives to talk to government, go back to your homes or go back to the market in case there is cargo to be taken home until this problem is solved’, Ochiti consoled the riders.
Flora Sebit Jada, Deputy Chairperson for Civil Society Network in Eastern Equatoria State, suggested that the government should find better preventive measures instead of imposing orders that will affect the population.
Majority of youth depend on boda-boda business to sustain their families, she noted.
‘Off course it has effect, if the boda-boda person carries someone, but we are suggesting that why don’t the government put some measures at least some other ways like if you are carrying someone all of you should cover your mouth and nose with mask so that if you want to sneeze will be inside there so that some people shouldn’t be affected. We want to see how other things can be free in order some people exercise their business freely especially in regard to boda-boda if you can rate them in Torit they are majority benefiting from boda-boda business rather than going and rob< he said.
Commissioner of police in Eastern Equatoria state Torit Major General Khamis Masik Margan acknowledged that Coronavirus brought major challenges in communities.
He said the state government is here to implement orders from Juba.
Major General Khamis explained that sick persons are allowed to be carried by boda-boda without interference.
‘Yes this is an order that has happened with effects which is all caused by coronavirus, there is poverty, the economic situation is bad and you are working on boda-boda, meaning if you don’t work you will not get daily earnings, but the high level delegation in Juba. So if you carry someone in the bike might be having coronavirus and you know in Torit UNMISS we had coronavirus’, he said.
He assured boda-boda riders that ‘we cannot say no but to receive your complain and we will sit to know what will happen. This issue has to reach juba and it is juba to solve this problem. In the level of Torit, we have resolved that if there is someone who is sick, young kids we have told our security agents to allow that exception. Our biggest problem is law enforcement’.