South Sudan: Who is the government, in the real sense?
10 min readBy Rev. Malong Bak Malong, Aweil, South Sudan
Thursday, October 11, 2018 (PW) — People (Nations) are likely to fall into imbroglio phenomenon when they fail to realize the true set of rights and obligations (that include loyalty) and the conditions those realize the true memorandum of understanding between the chosen (government) and the chooser (people) — and what qualifications anchoring the role of nominee in a form that must be satisfactory (responsibility). People must in the foremost, realize what they want, and how they wish it and when they want it.
And in this context, they (people) must get to harmonize their Opinions, and strongly stand for their common right and have a critical language (boldness and sound mind). But that can never happen except with an informed society—people with open mind, those can clearly see things with reasoning mind. Such people don’t beat the elephant’s shadow, rather they hit at the perpetrators’ heads!
Therefore, the only people who could quickly survive such imbroglio phages more easily are those who question the liability with thorough follow-ups on their set rules those governing them in absolute courage with clauses why? when? How? Which? And who? One of the wise man once said, “The best ways to hide a lie is between two truths”. To continue with that lesson of who is the government, I have tried all my best level to present you my points on who really is the true source of the government with legality censure and to compel.
Definition of the Government
“The government is a small organ of a nominee chosen by the people to represent them on services deliveries, render order and execute the regulations governing that particular society or community—which can be changed from time to another as merit its mandated ends or when it is seen incompetent or unresponsive or unsuitable and ineligible on reasons stipulated by law.”
Definition of people
Peoples are the majority of the Citizens that flocked or resided in one certain large area of land known as cities, towns, counties, Payam and villages—who resided in those locations with total right and freedom to conduct their daily lives. Who, when the need for order and law arise, can resort to choose cable men and women in small-scale-form to represent them in order to solve cases those arise among them from time to time and usher in order and obligations, fine, and reproved the culprits without impartiality. That is what is called in another language indirect democratic rule of people.
The Memorandum of understanding between the people and its nominee (government)
The People: People are bound by a law of loyalty within the boundary of contentment, or when that organ is able enough to qualify the positions they occupied—that is the anchoring condition. The people remain obedient to its nominee (government) as far as cooperation and loyalty is concerned—that is what we called Obligation.
The government: The government on the hand must work with great stamina to ensure that all the necessarily security, shrewd maintenance of public assets, services deliveries, protection of the rights of everybody equally and open vacancies for job-seekers. That is what we called Responsibilities.
Government is answerable to the People: The people are bound by the law of loyalty and responsibility when their needs are realized by the government. It is only when that small organ (govn’t) can be able enough to realize the anticipated needs which develop from time to time or which vary from time to another—failure to do so, that organ must abdicate that position immediately. But if that organ qualifies its sphere, the then organ can merit remaining in its position as steering system governing its people.
The government has no much powers amounting from its own, but is operating within the consented regulations—she must from time to time verifies itself before the people she is governing—that is what we called accountability. So the government is answerable to her people. And in this context, people are the ones to tick good or wrong on any system that represent them—because there is a possibility for people to live without government but there isn’t possibility for government to exist without people. In that content, government goes away, but people don’t.
Coming to my siblings (South Sudanese citizens): What has happened to us (conflicts) is not something new or strange thing. Simply, it is a call to Nationalism. It is a core test on our capacity and ability to come together and solidly unites as One Family of Nations regardless of our clans or traditions. Those elements are what prove that we are able to govern ourselves by ourselves—without which we are lying if we allege that we can establish One Nation like such great Country, South Sudan whose tribes, cultures, customs and languages differ absolutely from the others.
The test is, if we, as peoples in the same Country can be able to lower down our own self-centered and aimless prides—and cohesively and jointly stand for our common right as people with equal interest, then we can make it to one. Some of us use to say that certain tribe causes these dilemmas or it is certain tribes are the ones disrespecting others, which led to provocation of conflicts. My opinions are different completely; I just call such Opinions senseless Opinions.
For if I am to ask that: who among our tribes escaped displacement, starvation, poor health, destruction of livelihoods and lives, what can be your answer? The right answer is that this bad happening had victimized us all, I meant that we all have suffered its consequences—our Country has been pushed into it ignorantly and it has already fallen in on all four.
Herein this context, the students of truth can ask himself or herself, that what is then the real problem? So to answer that, allow me first to narrate to you this little story. It goes; certain people were caught in a bad happening. That situation set them in total imbroglio, and they were desperately looking for solution. The problem was that one of the bus fore-wheel got punched when they were driving on the road to their long, long destination.
And when the fore-wheel got punched, some began to say that the bus must be downloaded off of the items, people and everything else, which some quickly rebuffed saying that the heavy vehicle should be push. But another group who seemed to be more conservative advised that they should wait, even if it could take them long time, they must endure to stay where they were stuck in.
These different Opinions resulted into heated argument—it got tenser against each one of them that escalated into another conflict. But by a good luck, a madman happened to be passing by, who, in hearing what such caused negative brawling, got him shocked! He (madman) interrupted them saying, “instead for you disputing over the same bus with different Opinions, why not just replace this punched fore-wheel with the good one from those hind-wheels?”
He continued, “You can do so until when you reach your destination, then you can buy another new fore-wheel and put it in the place where you have removed one—so don’t waste your time and energy”. But one from the group defiantly said, “But you are a madman, you are not supposed to be one to tell us what is right to do?” But the madman in a reply said, “Yes, I am a madman, but I am not a fool”. That small and simple story covers ours exactly!
Therefore, in this context, change is needed. Are we not now stuck in blaming our identities minus seeing the real problems from the right perspectives? Are we really identifying what we need? I meant: haven’t we allowed ourselves to be exploited? No equity, no services delivery, no transparency, no financial stability, no health, no education, no security, no good roads, no freedom of speech (Media houses censured) no fair elections in order for us to have a chance to elect our cable men and women etc.
For us to achieve that: we need to have strong mental capacity; open mindedness is needed, because it is the informed mind that can analyze what can avail to us common interest as One Family Nations, yea, not vice versa! Note this: we South Sudanese Citizens are the ones robbed, exploited, fooled, raped, destroyed, killed, mocked at, ridiculed, neglected and deprived by these profligates who are wise enough to cheat us by FDs, SSOA, SPLM-IO, SPLM, SSDF and other reps in “divide and rule methodology”.
For if I can ask you this question: that who among our tribes on this Country is still flourishing in her own bliss, then what could be your right answer? The true right answer is that we all South Sudanese are: cheated, misused and above all, we are forced to be silent about it—through the use of military diktat and intimidations by this current government. In this content: It calls for us not dwell in that fabricated lies, this privileged clique is just pursuing its own interests or let me say its own projects—its bigger is to maintain the power by any cause even if it meant to provoke racial conflicts, it is find, as long as it will keep them rooted in power longer.
The SPLM compatriots, even the current SPLM Chairman before he came to power, he was a very humble man, he could quit the power at one glance of disdainful look; he could let go of power at any glimpse of aggressions, but now, things have changed, they are no longer the freedom fighters we used to know. But now they have become power-hungry-reps that can shed any Citizen’s blood on account of remaining in power—because they have found out that being in power use to be sweet!
Mark the above statement well, it is the central truth: so you should know this fact, that you will be hard to attain stability, prosperity and peace no matter what. This leadership cannot do anything that would avail prosperity, equity, peace because she is incompetent to do so. For peace is an enemy of any leadership that wants to stay in power, because peace uses to open possibilities for democratic governances, and as result, it can change the positions of the current system—seeing that nothing profitable this leadership. So our struggles are conflicts based on individuals’ interests not for the public. Therefore, we are in a captured State i.e. a small number of individuals are the ones dictating their nation for personal interests.
Therefore, with those few facts I have just mentioned above—of which you (South Sudanese Citizens) my people know some better than I do; I which to frankly tell you that be wise and stand true to your common right. For days are passing by, clocks is ticking, months and years missing—if you don’t cut down the tree before it is too late, you will be too late to cut it down it get more roots and change to become an habit that never be drive out!
Know this for sure, that our struggle is not against us, we the different tribes of South Sudan because we go no problems on stay as one people—but our supposed target is this privileged group who neglected and deprived us at all sectors i.e. Army section, civil section including the community. This regime has taken it for granted that this Country belonged to them minus us, the people who will always be here. Therefore, having understood that concept, we don’t again need to bite one another, or ourselves but we must logically and collectively join our efforts and demand a real path for democratic governance!
The author, Rev. Malong Bak Malong, has a diploma from Emmanuel Christians’ College at Yei River State. He is the founder of Aweil Pentecostal church, the chairperson for Great Aweil Pastors’ Union Chairperson (GAPU), and the former General Secretary for Aweil In-churches’ Committee (ICC). He can be reached via his email: Malong Bak <longbany2015@gmail.com>
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