The governor of Central Equatoria State on Friday dismissed Juba’s mayor and his two deputies amid mounting public frustration over deteriorating services in the capital.
Governor Emmanuel Rabi Mujung announced the removals and new appointments through a series of gubernatorial decrees.
According to Decree No. 01/2025, Mayor Johnson Swaka Ngisak was relieved of his duties along with Deputy Mayor for Administration and Finance Thiik Thiik Mayardit and Deputy Mayor for Infrastructure and Environment Juma Moses Michael.
It is the first time Thiik Thiik Mayardit, a cousin of President Salva Kiir, has not been reassigned to another position in Juba’s municipal administration. A decree dated Oct. 4, 2024, had appointed him Deputy Mayor for Administration and Finance. Prior to that, he held other deputy mayoral roles, including Deputy Mayor for Infrastructure and Development.
In a corresponding decree, Mujung appointed Christopher Sarafino Wani Swaka as the new mayor of Juba City Council. Wani previously served as Juba’s mayor under former Governor Clement Wani Konga and was known for introducing the city’s first traffic lights in 2014.
Other appointees include Jennifer Yabu Lasuba as Deputy Mayor for Administration and Finance, Lual Joseph Deng as Deputy Mayor for Social Services, and Stephen Lomude Martin as Deputy Mayor for Environment and Waste Management.
In a separate decree (No. 04/2025), Mujung reassigned outgoing mayor Johnson Swaka Ngisak as a senior technical advisor to the State Ministry of Local Government and Law Enforcement Agencies.
The Juba City Council oversees the administration of South Sudan’s capital, including public services, infrastructure maintenance, and urban development.