Decree Lady: The most feared lady by politicians and the most beloved TV personality in South Sudan

By Kuach Deng, Calgary, Canada

Friday, 25 August 2023 (PW) – What makes fighting corruption difficult in a corrupt country where stealing public funds is normalised if not celebrated as an achievement? My topic is South Sudan’s nonstop appointments, which I think are contributing to rampant corruption indirectly or directly.

I will explain ways and behaviours that aid corruption in this opinion article. Before I begin this topic, let me quote one of J1’s insiders, a man who knows how appointments happen.

“Nothing comes out of the blue sky,” says the gentleman,” A significant appointment starts somewhere closed without knowledge or with little information of a political party in which the appointee would be appointed on behalf of their party ticket or the appointee.

In fact, in the current South Sudan political system, before anyone dreams of a political position, appointment, or any of these fat jobs. Some brokers within the system would approach a Potential minister to lobby on their behalf.

This lobbying happens especially if brokers know that you are a useful idiot—in other words, a good boy from whom the public money would be looted. These lobbyist groups must have at least one member with the President’s ears.

Since the President was busy with national issues, he relied heavily on his best friends to help him pick the best job candidates. These dudes would portray themselves as good friends who want nothing but to see their man, the President, succeed in his leadership.

Therefore, an unlucky President like Slava Kiir Mayardit, who always ends up appointing people who know how to eat the public funds rather than contributing to national development, would believe his friends and accept their choice for appointment.

When lobbying is smoothly ironed out between brokers and the highest office, J1, a potential appointee, would be notified to be ready. Sadly, sometimes that dream never comes true, and others are caught off guard before buying suits for an unknown big day.

Sometimes, it takes months, if not years, for the candidate to clue his eyes on the SSBC 8:00 p.m. television news and smile bigly when he sees a decree lady on screen.

Waiting for a decree is the saddest and most torturing moment, and it’s where many politicians became bootlickers by praising J1 employees from gatemen/gatewomen to the President’s office. Such people claim that if President Salva Kiir leaves power, this country will collapse, as if South Sudan is now the greatest country on earth.

Here, potential appointees call President Kiir Joshua, who sailed South Sudan to the promised land and must rule South Sudan forever. These people see nothing wrong with the system; the whole government is perfectly fine.

Sadly, most would sit in Juba and no longer visit their families back home or abroad.  The whole nation hears it when someone is finally appointed through a televised decree read out in the last evening news.

Sooner than later, relatives, friends, and brokers would storm a newly appointed house with Bogus congratulatory messages. The groups of future beneficiaries would start a celebration while the appointee still collected his thoughts about the new political status.

In this case, an appointment is celebrated without the knowledge of new appointees, but you end up paying its costs. Someone would voluntarily slaughter a bull to celebrate your political achievement, but that would later cost you about ten bulls or more as a kickback.

New appointees’ wives/girlfriends would bring colourful bed sheets, delicious food, and fresh flowers on that big day to grace your appointment. Surprisingly, new crushes and exes would come with surprise gifts as well.

Nevertheless, your long-forgotten friends and old colleagues, even from kindergarten, would show up at your swearing-in and start calling you our man who has been appointed, and it’s our chance. In addition, your distant cousins, whom you had never known, would move to your compound because it was their appointment.

For them, they are coming to protect you, but they end up helping themselves with public money in your name. 

Before one takes over his job, one would have a complete list of private militias, more than the ministry’s payroll. Sadly, in a few weeks, not even months, those brokers, relatives, and friends would show up from breakfast until supper and wait for the latest news in your compound. These brokers who lobbied for you would like their lion’s share before the new appointee sees the money.

To make matters worse, they would spread the news that they were the mighty men behind your appointment, and you are now trying to forget them. Here, they threaten to cut you down or campaign against you for another soft minister who would be easily influenced.

Indeed, No one can win a corruption war when the primary enemy eats with you on the same plate. Either join the corrupt brokers or reject their looting demands and accept being fired.

If anyone wants to contribute to national development and leave a political legacy, they must stay away from brokers. One must have a clear vision of what is expected of him/her and what he wants to achieve.

The author, Kuach Deng, is a concerned South Sudanese Canadian in Calgary who can be reached at lochdit2002@yahoo.ca

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