Bill Gates Foundation donates $5m for South Sudan capital
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April 27, 2011 (JUBA) - The US-based Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
has earmarked five million dollars for the development of South
Sudan’s regional capital, Juba, its mayor has revealed.
JPEG - 38.7 kb
Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and now philanthropist in Berlin on 6
April2011 (Getty)
The donation, according to the mayor Mohamed Alhaj Baballa, will
mainly be used to boost areas like security, rule of law and the
environment. Juba County currently consists of 16 payams (districts).
In the past few months, however, the city has been in the spotlight,
with local residents reporting cases of robberies, killing and
harassment mainly within the city’s suburbs. However, state
authorities, working in collaboration with the police, recently
stepped up efforts to restore law and order in the affected areas.
“We shall also use part of this money to transform Juba into a modern
city. As leaders we feel improving service delivery in society remains
our key responsibility to the population who contribute to our
revenues through tax payments,” the recently appointed mayor observed.
The plans to develop the once war-ravaged city, its mayor added, will
further encompass the participation of both local and international
organizations, civil society entities and existing stakeholders.
Already put in place, Baballa revealed, is the city council’s move to
review all the current contracts that have been awarded to the various
service providers in the city, especially those undertaking clean-up
exercises. The council is the highest decision making body within the
city.
“Members of the city council are set to review all the contracts
signed for purposes of keeping Juba clean. In this case, only
companies that are found to be in conformity with the law will be
allowed to operate,” he said, adding that, “Those who will not comply
with the law will have their contracts cancelled.”
In February 2011 just after the South voted in a referendum to become
independent South Sudan’s council of ministers announced that it had
decided to relocate the capital Juba to a “befitting” new location
elsewhere in the South.
At the time the minister of information and official spokesman of the
government, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, told the press that the “new
capital would befit the new state of South Sudan.” He said the
decision was not against any community or authority, but in the
interest of the new nation.
He said two competing locations have been proposed for study before
the government could choose one as a federal territory in which it
will build the new capital. One of the proposed locations is an area
which straddles four states; the north-eastern part of Central
Equatoria, north-western part of Eastern Equatoria, south western part
of Jonglei and south eastern part of Lakes state.
Another proposed location for the capital is Ramciel, which officials
say is the geographic center of South Sudan has been the choice of
SPLM – the former rebels who now govern South Sudan. It is located in
north-eastern part of Lakes state, near the border with Unity state to
the North and Jonglei state to the East.
Founded in 1994 as William H. Gates Foundation, and renamed the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation five years later, the organization is "driven
by the interests and passions of the Gates family".
The foundation, according to its website, seeks to globally enhance
healthcare and reduce extreme poverty. Based in Seattle, Washington,
the foundation is controlled by its three trustees; Bill Gates,
Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.
In 2007, its founders were reportedly ranked as the second most
generous philanthropists in America.
(ST)
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