02/12/2025
Custom Market Fires Are a Failure of Leadership โ Not an Accident
By Adv. ISAAC FRANCIS (Civil Society Activist)
The latest fire at Custom Market is not just another unfortunate incident. It is a clear sign that we, as a society and government, have repeatedly failed to protect our traders, our youth, our mothers, and the families who depend on this market for survival.
For years, Custom Market has been the economic heartbeat of Juba โ a place where small dreams grow into livelihoods. Yet today, those dreams burn in broad daylight. Traders who slept with hope are waking up to ashes. Parents have lost their only source of income. Young entrepreneurs have watched their entire investment disappear in minutes.
Let us be honest: these fires are preventable.
Faulty wiring, illegal electricity connections, unsafe storage of petrol, congested structures, and the absence of fire extinguishers โ these are not accidents. They are governance failures. They are administrative failures. Most importantly, they are failures of responsibility.
How many more times will we watch mothers cry over destroyed goods before we act?
How many more businesses must collapse before we realise that this cycle will not stop on its own?
If this market were owned by powerful people, fire extinguishers would have been installed years ago. Inspections would be routine. Safety standards would be enforced. Yet small traders โ the backbone of our economy โ are left unprotected and on their own.
The truth is simple: Custom Market will continue burning unless there is political will to stop it.
What must change?
We need strict enforcement of safety regulations.
Illegal electricity connections must be removed.
A fire brigade team should be permanently stationed near major markets.
Traders must be trained in basic fire safety.
Market management committees must be empowered and accountable.
This is not a matter of politics โ it is a matter of human life and dignity.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
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