Tribute to Dr. Zachariah Bol Deng, one among great South Sudanese public figures
Dr Zachariah Bol Deng Majok was one among great South Sudanese public figures: A tribute by Atem Yaak Atem, a former friend of the deceased.
By Atem Yaak Atem, Sydney, South Sudan
Tuesday, January 26, 2021 (PW) — In the passing of Dr Zachariah Bol Deng, his family, the South Sudanese people, and myself as one of his trusted friends, have been dealt a heavy blow. Soon after the advent of the self-rule to the former Southern Region, late Dr Zachariah Bol was among several Southern Sudanese then living in exile to return to the country to serve their people in diverse fields, principally in health care and teaching.
As a highly qualified physician Dr Zachariah Bol joined Juba Hospital, where he served with distinction. He was dedicated to his job and developed strong and cordial working relations with his teammates at all levels. Those coworkers in turn paid back with unconditional love and mutual respect.
Having been one of his patients at the time in question (during the second half of the 1970s when I was once an inpatient at Juba Hospital under his direct care) I can testify that the young doctor was adored by all: patients, nurses and the rest of health workforce.
When the people of Southern Sudan were due to hold a second election to the People’s Regional Assembly (that would later elect the Region’s Chief Executive) Zachariah Bol was advised to contest one of the three seats allotted to university graduates.
My friend Stephen Abraham Yar and myself were among Bol’s supporters who went out to campaign for him. As civil servants bound by civil service conventions not to overtly participate in politics, we had the excuse that since we were graduates with votes to cast had the right to campaign for the candidate of one’s choice. This was our constituency and each of us felt we had a right to “do politics” within that limit. So we campaigned for him like mad. Dr Zachariah Bol won the seat by a comfortable majority.
We- his supporters-felt that his election to the legislative body for Southern Sudan was to underscore that Abyei area though physically in the North, was culturally, ethnically and spiritually an inseparable part of Southern Sudanese polity.
For that reason, individuals (I was not one among them) pressed the power brokers within the camp that had won the majority of seats and was going to form government to consider giving Bol a ministerial post. Lagu, the candidate for the Presidency and one to be the second President of the High Executive Council, made him Deputy Speaker of the People’s Regional Assembly.
In the second hot chair, Bol did the job with the fairness the office usually requires; as he was acceptable across the political divide (under the one party system “official opposition” did not exist as such but in the South, the reality told a different story as political groupings were much in evidence by deeds minus names).
Much of what the public will know about the late Zachariah Bol Deng Majok will come from his stepbrother and friend of the same age, Dr Francis Mading Deng, in his forthcoming and revealing memoir.
According to Francis Mading, Bol was a very gifted student, scoring high marks in nearly every subject, and that the future physician loved science subjects. Bol who took the name Frederick at baptism but later changed to Zachariah, also excelled in sports, especially tennis. His brother reveals that Bol was a born leader, who always strove for compromise and reconciliation wherever there was conflict.
During the 1983-2005 war of liberation, Dr Zachariah Bol, who with his family had moved to the United Kingdom was an active member of the SPLM/A in advocacy for the cause its was fighting for, and the mobilisation of humanitarian resources for the victims of the war and natural disasters affecting the civilian populations.
During those days I continued communication with him. Only late last year did I learn from his dear brother, Dr Francis Mading Deng, that his health was worrying.
I deeply mourn the passing of a friend who belonged to a small club of public figures, who were honest, selfless, modest and of unblemished moral standing I have known and associated with for many years.
May the memory of Dr Zachariah Bol Deng Kuol Arop Monydhang Bulabek live for a very long time to come.
This is an abridged tribute to Dr Zachariah Bol Deng Majok.
Atem Yaak Atem is the former deputy minister for information in Juba and a veteran South Sudanese journalist who was the founding director, chief editor, and trainer of Radio SPLA (1984-1991). He studied Master of Education at University of Wales; Advanced Journalism at International Institute of Journalism, West Berlin and Journalism at Khartoum Institute of Mass Communications. He was also the editor in chief of Southern Sudan monthly magazine (1977-1982), SPLM/A newsletter (1986-1988), Horn of Africa Vision magazine (1997-2000), The Pioneer weekly newspaper (2010-2011), as well as the Nile Mirror (1975-1977) when its chief editor Kosti Manibe had travelled abroad on duty. As a senior journalist, he was also a prominent columnist and contributor to the SPLM/Update (1993-1996), and the Sudan Mirror (2003-2005). He is the author of a new book, “Jungle Chronicles and Other Writings: Recollections of a South Sudanese“, a four-volume memoir, of which Jungle Chronicle is the first installment.
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