South Sudan: Only Citizens can end the long captivity of corruption epidemics
6 min readBy Kachuol Mabil Piok, Juba, South Sudan
December 11, 2015 (SSB) — It is undeniable that corruption has decimated South Sudan economy beyond recovery, unless South Sudan adopts radical approaches to break the networks reinforcing corruption. It has overgrown our moral values as a society that once prided itself for honesty, humbleness and benevolence among other better values.
Current vicious cycles of conflicts across the young nation are undoubtedly functions of endemic corruption, the corruption epidemic, has eroded morality, destroyed our traditional and modern political institutions.
As the world marks this day as international day for the world to eradicate corruption, Africa in general and South Sudan in particular very much need to free itself from the long captivity of corruption. Earmarking a global day for corruption is an acknowledgment for it gravity. So it eradication also calls for global solution.
In the recent rankings by Transparency International, South Sudan features at the bottom as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. The deteriorating trends was reported to have prompted some government officials to attempt to pay Nigerian fraudster to influence the ranking in favour of South Sudan. The audacity to manipulate rankings evinces how damaging the vice is to South Sudan.
Corruption has worsened poverty rates, and dashed hopes for the most vaunted prosperity in post-independent South Sudan. Given all it ravages, it is imperative that this vice should be confronted before it spread it rhizomes widely. Thus, this article is offering a bottom-up (community centered) strategies for combating corruption epidemics.
How do we free ourselves from this vice?
I am not naive to the fact that ending it is seemingly insurmountable given it level of entrenchment in our societal and modern political institutions. It is pervading all sectors both from the bottom to the top
However, I still have strong belief in South Sudanese ideals-hospitality, truthfulness, resilience, humbleness, outspokenness and fearlessness among other things-when it comes to confronting the odds. With all the above endowments, I do not think it is insurmountable. Therefore, it is the societal apathy that provides sanctuary for the vice. Here are some of the simple doses to end it.
Let’s ridicule (profile) them
The article advocates for people centered approach, not the rules of law driven strategies for combating corruption. Since we are pretty much aware that the accountability institutions in South Sudan are in fact aiding the vice, it would be futile to opine some remedies centered around the rules of law. Traditional values can do far much better than the rules of law in combating corruption.
The significance of the community centered strategies in combating corruption is massively underemployed in Africa and South Sudan in particular. Given the continuous prevalence of cultural values in modern urban areas in South Sudan, it is apparent that the cultural values would hold sways in fight against corruption.
For instance, if our history of struggle is anything to go by, there are instances were people who betrayed the cause for South Sudanese were called with pejorative names (ny’agat, militia, abethengony, and Jallabas etc). The use of such words against certain sections/individuals in our communities to a greater extent played instrumental role in safeguarding the unity of the South Sudanese
Those pejorative nuances were invariably used against the detractors which indeed made some of them to make U-turns and joined the cause of liberation.
Ostracize them, let them not be accorded dignity
It is common nowadays that those who have money are always accorded massively immeasurable statures in the community fora. Their pronouncements against certain individuals, communities or institutions are always virtually unquestionable. The society’s susceptibility to their whims is a function of their ill-gotten wealth.
Now is the time to weed them out, marginalize them in community fora, defy their pronouncements and instead praise those who are morally upright. It’s a tragedy of morality to witness our communities eulogizing those who should have been condemned.
Thus, if South Sudanese are committed to end corruption, then there is a need for re-invigoration of our long time cultural values which were impregnable to unacceptable social practices such as theft. For instance, particularly, among the Dinka and Nuer communities, no one has ever willingly asked her daughter/sister or a boy to marry a thief or a witch.
Resuscitating the same practices in fight against corruption would be the only means to revert the trajectories of corruption in South Sudan. That alone will once again lead to an utter re-invigoration of South Sudanese moral values.
Turn away their donations in churches
It is shameful that churches (supposedly the custodian of integrity) accord them red-carpets just to impress them to ditch out their ill-gotten wealth to the churches. Long time ago churches use to refuse tithes from those who sell wines, and their bodies (prostitutes) and any other unclean sources. What led to the change of doctrines? Why compromising cardinal doctrines?
Surprisingly, contemporary churches have turned out to be conduits and sanctuaries for corruption, instead of praying for the corrupts to part with these bad practices, the clergies pray for them to get and bring more wealth to the church, but from where? This makes churches accomplices in condoning the vice- in other words churches are giving them blank checks to predate on the children (society) of God.
Therefore, it is our responsibility as members of various religious denominations to urge our church leaders to instead ask God to make the corrupt persons repent rather than asking God to grant them more wealth through dubious means.
Before receiving donations from well-wishers, the church should investigate the sources of money. And if their sources are murkier, and suspicious then church leadership should not allow them to donate to the church.
Compose songs against them
The culture of composing songs against rogue and unwanted elements in the society helped in preventing cultural deviancy. It is thus a responsibility of artists to compose songs condemning corruption. This will help us in reclaiming our values from going extinct. Silver X (Ustaz ta Dunia) should be hailed for his scathing song (tomorrow bi toh mun de) which succinctly embodies the desperation of young people.
When I was a wee boy, we used to hear from our parents that we should not do certain things which would bring shame to the family. This cloaked in my mind until today as a matter of fact. I grew up knowing that our family is the best. But today, fathers praise their sons for stealing by using euphemism in words such as ‘hard working,’ ‘self-reliant’ and ‘generous.’ And mercilessly blames his son’s equals for lack of hard working spirit. Phew, isn’t this the peak of paradoxes of the amoral society?
Other than the community centered strategies, we as individuals must cultivate culture of respect for public funds in our institutions. It is a matter of imposing self-discipline to have the honour of history as a moralist.
Legacies are not build through the amount of money one has acquired but by virtues of good deeds that everyone within that particular setting would always scramble to emulate.
Kachuol Mabil is a political commentator on South Sudan. He can be reached via Kasiimab@gmail.com or Kachuol1@yahoo.com
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