An Open Letter to His Worship, the Lord Mayor of Juba Municipality
4 min readBy Pal Chol Nyan, Juba, South Sudan
May 31, 2017 (SSB) — Dear Your Worship, I am a South Sudanese who believes in objective realities and facts of life. I believe in the true patriotism and nationalism. I am not affiliated to any political party. This belief has no strings attached; like flattering leaders for a political job. I live my own life as a South Sudanese.
I managed to resist the path of tribalism and when I am asked, which tribe do I belong? My answer is and has always been categorically that I am a patriotic citizen of South Sudan. Having chosen these principles, it has made me to live below poverty line. Convinced of this, I will be the last man in this country to betray my God-given rights for cheap means.
The reason for writing to you is that this country is ours. Generations will come and go but the land will remain. The current war situation has put this country at a crossroad. The beneficiaries are the protagonists of the ongoing senseless war who pray day and night for the war to continue. They are actually exploiting us. Some war beneficiaries are the bodaboda riders.
They have become internal insurgents fighting the ordinary citizens by overcharging them for short distances. They do it at will. It seems no law is guiding them like in Kampala where they also constitute the main means of transport. They have a registered association accountable to the Kampala Municipality.
In our case, I am told they formed a dysfunctional association here which has no constitution. I know they are also most affected and may be overwhelmed by the situation but they have exceeded their borders. That is not how to raise children.
When you tell them to take you to Malakia from Juba University, they charge you 50 ssp and from Juba University to Nimr talata, they charge you the same. These were distances of 2 to 3 pounds. If you triple it, it won’t reach 50 ssp. Some economists, they may not agree with me, because they gain by having chosen to distort facts, know this.
The ongoing food commodities auction has just added an insult to and injury. It has not changed anything according to the people we talk to. The bodaboda owners need to be warned not to exploit the situation. They are not learning from the road traffic accidents which are divine warnings.
The Resha owners have also created another front of overcharging. The issue is now that if you want to go, pay or stay. There is no law governing it. I make ends meet .How about the school children and those who have no/denied the opportunities to attain jobs? They need the intervention of Your Worship to regulate the transport fares.
Why is the country being run as if we are going away? Most of the Bodaboda owners cite the lack of fuel and diesel as their reasons for increasing the fares as they want. Our country is blessed with minerals and oil. Who can believe that there is no diesel or fuel?
It seems my cousins have shifted to diesel or fuel black market because the dollar was seen to be going down. The Commercial play ground is where you find them selling theirs. Nobody asks them because they are connected to and with big men.
In conclusion, Your Worship, the situation needs your attention.J1 has already started shaping it .Follow them. There are people who cannot afford to pay always from Munuki to the Ministries complex.50 SSP times 30 days is 1,500 ssp.
You will agree with me that it is more than what the unclassified staff earn but it is equivalent to the airtime of the nas kubaar .Improve the lives of the people. That is what they want. If it is all pushed to the issues of war, just let it be stopped.
Thank you!
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