Keeping It in the Family – Warrap Governor Magok Magok Appoints Son Head of Revenue Authority
Blame the Game, Not the Players: Keeping It in the Family – Warrap Governor Magok Magok Appoints Son Head of Revenue Authority
By PaanLuel Wël, Juba, South Sudan
Saturday, 15 March 2025 (PW) — When I first saw the viral post about the newly decreed governor of Warrap State appointing his own begotten son, David Deng Mariel Magok, as the chairperson of the State Revenue Commission, I wasn’t surprised. Outrage? Sure. But surprise? Hardly. Most South Sudanese have condemned the move as a textbook case of blatant nepotism. Yet, as scandalous as it may seem, Governor Magok Magok Deng is simply playing by the rules of the game, a game carefully crafted and perfected by the dominant gun class in Salva Kiir’s South Sudan.
If you think Warrap’s governor is unique in turning public office into a family business, think again. Dr. Riek Machar, our country’s first vice president, appointed his beloved wife as Minister of Defense, yes, national defense. President Salva Kiir, the appointing authority with the power to decree anyone into or out of a job, didn’t bat an eye when installing his own son as a senior official in the Office of the President. And let’s not forget Gen. Kuol Manyang Juuk, who has made a side career of advancing his daughter, Hon. Atong Kuol Manyang, from one cushy position to another, first in Jonglei state, and then, for good measure, to a national ministerial post in Juba.
In that context, Governor Magok’s decision isn’t so much an outrageous anomaly as it is a logical next step in South Sudan’s political playbook of the gun class. Let’s face it, Governor Magok knows he’s living on borrowed time. South Sudan State governors have the job security of a leaf in a windstorm. It’s a matter of months before the decree comes for him, and when it does, no one will remember his speeches or policies. So, what’s a rational man to do? Secure the money bag. Fast. And what better way to speed up the process than by putting your own blood in charge of the revenue stream? Two hands are better than one, after all.
Just ask Hon Abraham Makwek Chiman, the man unceremoniously fired after just 18 days on the job. His brief tenure as the Warrap State Revenue Authority Commissioner barely gave him time to warm the seat before he was shown the door to make room for the governor’s son. Cynical? Absolutely. Rational? Undoubtedly.
The truth is, our “decree system” doesn’t reward vision, competence, or public service, it merely rewards those who can out-lobby, and outlast their rivals. The journey to a plum position like governorship or ministerial position is an emotional and financial drain for an impoverished Junubi. For a man (hardly a woman) to secure such a plum position, he must endure months, if not years, of relentless pleading, bribing, and back-channel maneuvering under the table of J-1 gatekeepers. And once that decree is signed, the clock starts ticking. The J-1 lobbyists who helped you in securing the plum position are already plotting your removal before you’ve even unpacked your bags. J-1 lobbyists make a killing in securing a position for you to loot, not in maintaining you in the position to develop the nation.
In this zero-sum game, there’s no time for political idealism or long-term economic development. Neither President Kiir, the decreeing authority, nor the disillusioned citizens who have long abandoned hope, expect these appointees to serve the public good. Governors and ministers know their primary mission: enrich yourself quickly, because tomorrow you could be out. And should you empty the state or national coffers while you’re at it? Well, no one is going to hold it against you, so why not.
Governor Magok may have broken decorum by moving this swiftly and this blatantly, but he hasn’t broken any unwritten rules. In fact, he’s merely refining a system that has become the bedrock of South Sudanese politics. Far from being a rogue actor, he is simply playing the same survival game everyone else in power plays. And if we’re being honest, his move to install his son as head of the Revenue Authority will probably “inspire” others to follow suit as he himself learnt from the best: President Salva Kiir, VP Dr Riek Machar and Gen Kuol Manyang.
So, while we can shake our heads and wag our fingers at the Warrap governor’s family affair, let’s not pretend it’s an isolated incident. This is the logical outcome of a broken system where power is transactional, time is short, and loyalty is best kept in the family. Blame the game, not the players. Kudos to Governor Magok Magok Deng! In the cunning contest between the Agook and the Awan, it seems the Agook might just be besting the Awan, quite the twist on Jieeng folklore.
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