How Nepotism is Undermining Social Cohesion and Prosperity in South Sudan

SOUTH SUDAN GOVERNMENT JOBS LIMITED TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS

By Daniel Athioor Atem, Juba, South Sudan

Monday, July 27, 2020 (PW) — Dr. Garang and SPLM members envisioned an independent South Sudan where every citizen would live and work without any form of discrimination. For a long time, the Southerners were oppressed, discriminated and treated as third class citizens by the Khartoum government. The formation of Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) in 1983 by John Garang and his colleagues was aimed at freeing fellow countrymen from all sorts of social and economic injustice at a time. The rebel group received loyalty and support from the local populations, for they looked at it as the only gateway to freedom. 

It is not surprising that when a referendum was held in January 2011, 99.57% (Referendum Commission,2011) of Southern Sudanese were in favor of a new independent South Sudan. They had tasted enough of the impoverishment, underdevelopment, killings, and marginalization. Among the long list of expectations included peace, preservation of human rights, quality affordable education, equal employment opportunities, nation building and access to quality health services. 

To this end, the ‘fruits’ of independence are unrest, nepotism, tribalism, mistrust, inflation, corruption among the many. It is as if independence came to only a small section of those holding political power. When it comes to employment, it is even worse. Government ministries and agencies have turned into family units where senior public officers like ministers only hire their brothers, sisters, children, wives, and in-laws who at worse lack the right qualifications for the jobs assigned to. 

Nepotism or favoring relatives and friends for government jobs and government contracts greatly undermines SPLM/SPLA principles of unity for prosperity. Much as George Clooney’s Sentry report of 2016 is contested by many especially politicians, the report points to the fact that to politicians in Juba and their families continue to amass wealth at the expense of fellow citizens. 

While the rest of the population languishes in abject poverty, misery, hunger and human rights violations caused by the brutal civil war, senior government officers continue to reap from the benefits of nepotism. Public office jobs are given to relatives and friends for example, one of the vice presidents has employed close to twelve close family members to senior positions with about 91% of them unfit for the jobs assigned to professionally. 

It is no surprise that senior public officers like ministers and their families lives in diasporaa kind of life staying in 5-star hotels, ever traveling by plane around East Africa and beyond, owning luxury cars and mansions in surrounding East African countries. Yet one would think that for a war-torn country on the path of rebuilding, senior public officer’s ought to be exemplary especially in regard to public expenditure and luxury. The country deserves patriotic leaders with a spirit of national development.  

Government Ministries are even worse, qualified well experienced professionals have been dismissed only to be replaced with favored ill qualified relatives and friends. The consequences of nepotism are far reaching including widening divisions amongst communities, ineffective service delivery, corruption, fueling conflict, and widening the inequality gap between the rich and the poor. 

Because they are job insecure, ill qualified public officers spend much of their time doing whatever it takes to keep them in power. The ongoing civil war has been sustained to wood wink the masses from public service recruitment injustices. 

In 2017, while at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, President Salva Kiir strongly warned against recruitment of only sons and daughters of ministers. The President insisted that the recruitment process at ministries should be open and transparent to any qualified South Sudanese. However, not much has changed but in fact such situation has worsen since then, it was political rhetoric.

Many sons and daughters of ministers are flooding in fat government ministries, and it is not a news to the President and his government. The President will always talk and comment on nepotism, corruption, rule of law however, the absence of strong regulatory framework to back up his words only promotes the vice.  The system is so flawed that there is no vetting for most of these public office job placements. 

While many of our brothers and sisters were denied education in the past by the Sudan regime, some progress has been made today. Between 2010 and 2020, over 100,000 (UNESCO,2020) students have graduated in different fields including economics, public administration, law, education, social work, development studies, medicine, and public health among others which are critical to nation building. 

A sizeable number of these have studied from outside countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, US, UK and etc., where education standard is better. However, it is disheartening to see such qualified young professionals without a job on the street in Juba simply because they have no father, mother, brother, sister, aunt or uncle in a high government profile job to connect them since it’s the only available option. 

It is therefore important that authorities in government take serious public service reforms to ensure openness and transparency in the recruitment process. The Ministry of Labour, Public Service and Human Resource Development is tasked to ensure fairness in recruiting public servants.

Parliament should pass tough laws on nepotism and tribalism in government and corporate agencies. Besides, legislators should also continuously monitor such agencies to ensure that compliance. Parliament of South Sudan should as well benchmark public service recruitment in Kenya for senior officers like Ministers and judges who are vetted in the house and can be disqualified if scored unworthy for the position.

I also think it is no crime when a qualified family member or friend openly applies and goes through the entire recruitment process transparently is hired. Therefore, public service jobs should be openly advertised in the media and other social accessible platforms and all applicants fairly vetted based on merit.  

The author was, a World Bank Blog4Dev2019 Winner for South Sudan||Member of the Youth Transforming Africa||Mandela Scholar. He can be reached via his email: atemathior@gmail.com

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