President Salva Kiir Mayardit: One of the greatest leaders South Sudan will ever have
7 min readBy David Matiop Gai, Juba, South Sudan
October 13, 2016 (SSB) — In Dinka a proverb, it said, “raan acie jony ke lo, ran eya jony ke buo”, which mean, you cannot advise somebody when he/she thinks his/her decision is the best until when his/her decision failed at last, he/she will understand your advice with consequences.
This is not President Kiir’s historical background which I write, but I want to say something good about him, but before I say something about president Kiir, People in South Sudan do not appreciated their leaders. They blindly hate them up to the point of death. I never saw in my life one day people celebrated somebody death, a death which is the enemy of all human being and which can consume them too and you celebrated its powers!
During the bush, South Sudanese wished Garang die four times, but he couldn’t die until his mission was over. Yesterday, on the 11th October 2016, rumours of President’s death circulated all over the world and on social media. Enemies of peace in the Republic of South Sudan beat a drum of death and forgetting that death has no friend. We are all entitled to it. It’s consumed all of us whether you like it or not. Death is for all. Death can come into your own affairs any time, and who knows those who wish bad luck against the president might be the first to leave the soil of South Sudan?
Any way even Riek Machar who put the country into these messes, I cannot wish him die because he has his own day for death and simply anybody born of a woman supposed to die. Therefore, if anybody is to die or not to die, that is not my business because I may too die one day, one time.
Coming back to the importance of President Salva Kiir Mayardit, he is the best leader among the South Sudanese leaders whom they may cry later if he step aside in leadership that if knew it, we would have not make it this way because he was the very great leader who convinced the conscience of Dr. John Garang among the hundreds of South Sudanese leaders with confident, commitment, self-sacrifice, honesty, loyalty, and trust-winning in heart about the future of South Sudan.
To prove it to readers, Dr. John Garang said in Rumbek before his death, “I have put this order that Cdrs Salva Kiir Mayardit will be the president of the government of south Sudan, congratulations to Comrade Salva Kiir, this person was with me since the formation of SPLM/A in 19983, nobody is qualified like Salva Kiir and he will take Southern Sudan ahead”. He means to care for the people of South Sudan, or in other words, he said, am going away, take care of our people.
When we heard this uttering, we got chock, because Garang mixed words in simple Arabic, Dinka, and English. In Dinka if you heard somebody speaking like that, we called it “Cieen”, that is the last words of somebody who is at the point of death, and the Last words to point of death cannot come out from the mouth of a leader, a father or a mother who doesn’t trust his children. These are always kinds of blessings a person give to people in family when he/she is about to die. When Garang gave SPLM/A leadership to Salva Kiir, he trusted him, and even named him President before he becomes president.
I am sure Garang chose the right man who may work after him in his footsteps although people are complaining that if Garang was alive he would have do this and that, but what I know is a representing problem. And if president Kiir leaves the office later, you may hear them again saying if we knew it, he is a pity man! And of course it will take one hundred years to get a slow analyst and very patient leader like him in the Republic of South Sudan.
All the leaders who will follow him, may come tough because they have learned how South Sudanese tarnish the image of leaders, and disrespected their leaders in power, but I think, president Kiir has nine (9) traits that defined his great leadership which was well searched by Dr. John Garang, and proves by South Sudan crisis during his reigns in the country.
Awareness. President Kiir understands the nature of differences and accepted it. He informs to image of problems, their actions, and communicates to us. We just try to drive him to the sea, but he did not get ready for it. Awareness is part of his life. He is always aware people to boost on agriculture in South Sudan.
Decisiveness. President Salva Kiir makes tough decisions. You know majority of South Sudanese are Nilotic, and Nilotic are tough when provoke, they react immediately. During these two years of south Sudan crisis, the world intervened into our affairs unfairly, and angered many people in South Sudan; many people went on the streets in Juba and in states against UN but finally Kiir make tough decision alone. I agreed later, a leader makes decisions that require a firmness, authority, and finality that will not please everyone, but condones lives of people.
Empathy. South Sudanese President praises the public, and address problems in private. I mean in private, he forgives wrongdoers, and individuals offense the country or him, both international persons, and South Sudanese alike. Yes the best leader always guides the country through challenges, and always on lookout for solutions to foster the long-term success of the country, genuine concern. Today, he said, “even if we find those who kill civilians, we will forgive them because they don’t know what they are doing”! Which leader said this statement in the world?
Accountability. Salva Kiir takes responsibility for everyone’s performance, including their own. In 2013, before the war, he called up on seventy five leaders to returned four billions US dollars into public account either in Kenya or in other nations.
Confidence. He is a best leader with confident, but his confidence is contagious. He seeks South Sudanese advice and feels more confident as a result. Confidently he took bold decision in 2011 for independence of South Sudan, and forgave Northern Sudanese although we cannot forget he said.
Optimism. Salva Kiir is a very good leader with a source of positive energy. He helps and genuinely concern for the welfare of people. He always seeks solutions, and knows what to reassure to others. He accepts personal criticism and look for ways to gain consensus and get people to work together. He said today, don’t take law into your own hands.
Honesty. A strong president Kiir Mayardit is a leader that treats people the way they want to be treated. The Bible says, “Do well to others what you want others to do for you”. He is an extremely ethical and believes in that honesty, effort, and reliability forms foundation of success. His integrity is not shaken although South Sudanese are trying very hard to destroy his best records, but history will defend him.
Focus. President Kiir focuses on success and future of South Sudan. He said again today that, “he was fighting the terrible war of 22 years to liberate South Sudan, then why should he comes a tribal leader after liberation?” They, (Garang & Kiir), established strategies, processes, and routines of strong democracy in South Sudan though it is interrupted in 2013 by coup attempt, that foundation is on the way to be achieve, no matter what?
Inspiration. Leaders like President Salva Kiir Mayardit are very few in the world. I am not the only person defining him as one of the world fewest leaders that could be found on our planet. He is simple, slow to annoy, patient, humble, loving, peaceful, and forgivable. But because South Sudanese got him as a man who forgives people several times, they exploited him as a chance to destroy the country.
In conclusion, people behaviours are motivated with greediness that they hate the present, appreciated the past, and demand for the future. People! A best leader like Kiir is always plays with him. But I want to urges those who do not want Kiir in power that hatred should not be reach up to the point of death and it is more incurable. Please wish him good health until he becomes former president and elderly person in South Sudan political affairs why not? I wish you a healthy life Mr. President because you are our preference in national politics, not of course you are a Dinka to me, but I don’t have bad heart to any South Sudanese that may cause me wish him/her die as a solution. God bless you and South Sudan.
The author is a co-founder of South Sudan Mental Health Care Organization. He can be reach at david.matiopgai@gmail.com
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