Port Moresby City Wardens Respond to Viral Uniform-burning Video Circulating Online

The National Capital District (NCD) City Wardens have spoken out after a video showing uniforms being burned at the Manu Auto Port in Port Moresby began spreading on social media and sparking community concern.

In a statement issued this week, the City Warden leadership clarified that the people seen burning the shirts were not regular full-time City Wardens but were volunteer attendants temporarily assigned to help while the official wardens were away on refresher training.

Port Moresby City Wardens Respond to Viral Uniform-burning Video Circulating Online

The incident stemmed from an administrative delay in paying allowances for those volunteer workers, which triggered frustration among them and led to the destructive act seen in the video.

City Warden officials strongly condemned the behaviour, saying that burning the uniforms was unacceptable and did not reflect the values of the organisation or the hundreds of full-time wardens serving the community with dedication.

The leadership acknowledged that the delay in payment was regrettable, but stressed that destroying uniforms in protest was the wrong way to express grievances and could damage public trust.

To address the matter promptly, the City Wardens resolved the outstanding payments for the affected volunteers and launched an investigation into how the video was created and shared, including whether there were other motives behind it.

Officials also expressed disappointment that some individuals may have tried to use the incident to undermine the reputation of the City Warden Initiative Program. “We are angered and disappointed by this act. The uniform is a symbol of pride for our City Wardens. It is a mark of our service and commitment to the community,” the statement said.