How a Rotten System is Spoiling Good People, Making Crooks of them, in South Sudan

By Francis M. Malwal, Houston, USA

Tuesday, June 09, 2020 (PW) — Last week, President Kiir terminated Minister in the office of the President Mayiik Ayii and appointed Nhial Deng Nhial in his position. Nhial Deng, who held several positions before this assignment. He served as the Minister of an international corporation, Defense and Foreign Affairs, just to mention a few. The senior ruling party members have welcomed Nhial’s appointment.Some people have considered it as the last chance for the president to save the almost sinking ship. 

The president lashed out at his former Minister Mayiik during the swearing-in ceremony of Mr. Nhila. He accused Mayiik of mismanaging the regional road project that connects the capital Juba to Bahr El Ghazal. According to the president, it seems the company that is now constructing the road is not the same he had contracted last year in China.

The way the Chinese company is constructing the highway did not endure the heavy rain. As a result, the first rain washed out the Road exposing a low-quality design and construction. It’s unclear what prompted the President to act swiftly this time since he is known for his hesitation and reluctance to fight corruption since 2005.  However, as usual, the president didn’t elaborate on whether he will handle this case differently from previous instances of resource mismanagement.

Moreover, Juba-Rumbek-Wau road failure is not the first of its kind in the history of the ruling party. For example, Juba international Air that was expected to be opened during the independence ceremony in 2011, is still unfinished until today. Also, recall the list of 75 senior government officials whom the President accused of embezzling public funds; the account opened in Kenya for those officials to return the fund to the government. However, nobody knows what happened to that approach; how much was returned?. But I can say that nothing has been done and the story is barred forever. 

President Kiir’s lousy leadership and weak institutions have spoiled South Sudanese politicians. Lack of accountability might have encouraged those politicians to be involved in corruption since they know the worst thing that could have happened to them is losing position. Some of them are ready to give up the post in exchange for $ hundreds of millions.

The president has no courage to face his corrupt ministers who misappropriate funds and mismanagement projects. Otherwise, what is the explanation of the president, not calling  Mayiik to attend the swearing-in ceremony in a similar way the former chief of Staff and Kuol Manyaing did when they handed offices to the incoming Chief of Defense and Minister of Defense, respectively?

So his remarks were not serious, and it meant for political consumption only. He already admitted in his comments that he has no problem with Mayiik. So if the president cannot have a problem with the Minister who changed the term of the contract the president signed, with whom else will he have problems? 

The president fears his ministers; for example, there was a time he addressed his council of ministers, he said,” you know that people say that  you are corrupt but  I want you to prove to them that you are not.” Although he knows that the majority of his ministers are corrupt, he can’t utterly face them with the truth. 

So his cabinet ministers knew his weakness that the President is toothless who cannot hold anyone accountable. I don’t know the reasons, is it because he is a part of them. However, the sanitary report could answer that puzzle. The President’s weakness has encouraged the ministers to loot and misappropriate funds and get away with it.  As a result of this government, South Sudan has become a milking cow for the corrupt officials and their forign enterprise alliance. 

Also, the President terminated Anthoney Lino Makana, the former Minister of Road, because of corruption related to the Road project; however, just after a few years, the President had appointed him again as the Speaker of the assembly. Similarly, the case of Mayen Wol, who was accused twice for embezzling money in the President’s office. As a result, he was sentenced for 20 years in jail, but later on, the President appointed Mayen Wol undersecretary of the Ministry of Petroleum, the list is endless. 

What message was the President sent to all ministers, Governors, and commissioners? It’s obvious, squandering public money or mismanaging government projects is not a crime.  Even if you were caught, I would get you out of jail and reinstate you to any position. It’s become clear to all South Sudanese, including foreigners, that South Sudan is milking cows, and if you want to establish yourself very fast, flatter the president. He will appoint you as  Minister and get a quick shut and disappear. So that is the impression that the President has sent out about South Sudan.

Although there are many projects that are unfinished until now, no official has gone to jail because of corruption. For example, Juba airport, Thongriel refinery, Ramshill capital city,  the SPLM headquarter project, the SPLA hotel along bilpam Road, Tractors project, and recently Rumbek Road project. During his road trip to Bahr El Ghazal last year, the president claimed that he was not aware of the road condition because the ministers lied to him. So this time he took the responsibility to his office to guarantee the project. However, the president didn’t know that the people who steal money from his office are capable of mismanaging the project.

Apparently,the SPLM party has failed to develop South Sudan and provide security to its people. Also, no single project executed successfully in the last fifteen years, and any successful project is managed by partners. So the SPLM leadership under Gen.Salva Kiir has failed miserably to achieve anything other than the referendum. So Nimle road and Salva Kiir Mayardit Maternity Hospital in Rumbek and Maternity Unite in Juba teaching hospital were all financed and managed by partners.

Besides, when the President came back from China, he admitted that he contracted a Chinese company to construct Rumbek Road in exchange for crude oil. He made this decision to avoid handling money because his ministers’ “hands keep shaking when they see the money.” So his admission was an apparent confusion that the SPLM and himself could not manage monetary resources. So now the last chance for the success of the Kiir leadership has failed too. 

Furthermore, the President has fired the cabinets, governors, commissioners several times in a search for a solution to the problem of South Sudan. Some new faces have come and left, while others rotated from Minister to Minister. Nevertheless, the situation is the same; no success achieved but just failure after failure. So the only person that has not been changed since 2005 is Kiir’s position, the problem is not in the Minister or commissioners but himself. Because if it were ministers or governors, the South Sudan problem would have been solved a long time ago. 

Eventually, the lack of accountability in the leadership of SPLM has destroyed South Sudan because the corrupt system spoils good people who have the integrity to do horrible things. In contrast, a sound system forces crooks to do good things. 

In conclusion, South Sudan is almost sinking in the hand of President Kiir; he failed to execute any successful project since 2005, starting from Racmchel, Juba Airport, Thangriel Refinery, SPlM headquarters, and Rumbek Regional Road just to mention a few. He failed to manage the economy of the country then opted for bartering but also failed.  He reshuffled the cabinet and  governors of states and commissioners several times; the result is still the same failure after failure.

Therefore, the only executive degree that has not been tried, and I believe to be the permanent solution is for the President to resign. He should allow somebody capable of fighting corruption and managing the financial aspect of the country and building institutions and enforcing accountability and rule of laws; otherwise,South Sudan will not see any progress. 

The Author, Francis M Malwal, is a Chairman of Establishment Committee, African’s National Party and can be reached via his email:francismalwal@gmail.com

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