The definition of corruption in South Sudan
By Abel Majur Leek, Jonglei State, South Sudan
June 24th 2016 (SSB) — Among other social issues in South Sudan, corruption has received serious and consistent attention from South Sudanese and non-South Sudanese. Many commentaries have been passed, several journals, newspaper and magazine volumes have been published on corruption related issues, sermons and teachings have been preached in various religious centers, some academic institutions have held public lectures, symposium and conferences on corruption, numerous non-governmental organizations have championed strong advocacy against corruption, surprisingly, the more attention it receives, the more resilient it becomes. Corruption has stayed so long in the South Sudan society to the extent that it has become intrinsic and seen as a way of life.
Queues at gas stations and public offices can be easily boycotted when you give bribe to the officer in charge, traffic rules can be disobeyed relaxingly with zero consequence when you give money to traffic wardens from time to time, you can be a youth corps and abscond from your primary assignment if you can share your monthly allowance with the zonal inspector, you can commit a crime and go free if you are influential enough, you can get admission into colleges, polytechnics and universities without merit if you can lobby through money or relationship with a top official, recruitment requirements can be overlooked for an influential person’s offspring, an airline can cancel others’ bookings if you bring a higher monetary bargain to table to mention a few.
These and more have become acceptable way of life in our beloved country South Sudan, with money, nothing seem impossible in the South Sudanese society. This unfortunate cankerworm has eaten the society so deep that all appears normal, a South Sudanese who refuses to give bribe may face serious mockery.
Many times, the concept of corruption is seen differently in the South Sudanese society. “What is South Sudan’s biggest problem” is a public poll question conducted among South Sudanese in their cities like Juba, Wau and Malakal, respectively. Interestingly, all the respondents saw corruption as stealing/mismanagement of public funds. All the respondents tagged people in political offices as the “corrupt ones”. To a high extent, this defines corruption in South Sudan. The average South Sudanese sees corruption as a reality that exists among the political elites only.
However, in concept and practice, corruption is not limited to embezzlement/mismanagement of public resources. The defining characteristics of corruption include: dishonesty, dishonest dealings, unscrupulousness, deceit, deception, duplicity, double-dealing, fraudulence, law breaking, criminality, wrongdoing, delinquency among others.
Assessing the above named defining characteristics of corruption, it is apparent that corruption goes beyond embezzlement of public resources. In the broad sense, corruption as a reality in the South Sudanese society does not exist among the political elites only, it is a social ill that permeates all areas, ages, and social status. Corruption has enjoyed sufficient growth in South Sudan over decade because the consequences against corrupt practices have zero or low implementation level.
The lack of consequences for corrupt practices in the country has not only given room for corrupt people to expand, it has also encouraged many uncorrupt South Sudanese to be corrupt since no consequence is attached. South Sudan reputation in the globe has been weakened severally with gigantic corruption records, even though tougher among the political elites because its implications affect all South Sudanese, corruption in South Sudan is not limited to the ruling class.
To tackle this social menace, it is important for South Sudanese to tenaciously make living right a culture. Those who give and receive bribes at gas stations are not political leaders, traffic warden who takes bribe is not the president, the employer who hold on to employees’ monthly allowances is not the government, these and many more are severe corrupt practices witnessed outside the political caucus. South Sudanese have to make living right a culture!
For interactions: Abel Majur Leek tweets from @nuerleek. He can be contacted through abeleek2@gmail.com
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