Articles and Analysies
Salva Kiir: Shedding the tears of failure/John Sabit Atar, Nairobi, Kenya;
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May 25, 2008 - 2:23:55 AM

Salva Kiir: Shedding the tears of failure

Crying during the funeral was a clear sign of failure and weakness of the present leadership in South Sudan; President Kirr knows that he has failed to achieve development for the people of south to the required or expected standard, that is why he is crying, that is why bad things happen and people die all the time because of this weakness to develop ourselves to international standards.

Kirr is a war hero; he did very well during the war and deserved credit, but he did not do very good as president of South Sudan at the present moment. Being a military man does not mean you can also be a good politician automatically.

If I recall properly, the only reason Kirr was picked to succeed Garang was because he was the only last remaining founders of the movement (SPLM/A); and not because he has the required skills of the political leader.

But because there is a chance to learn, that is why all southerners gave him the benefit of the doubt, to prove himself. Picking him was to show unity amongst southerners and also show that the movement was still alive.

I know that now many loyalist who cannot see past their tribes will start to criticize me and cry foul, and call me jalaba just because Kirr is from their tribe. But leadership cannot be measured by tribesman-ship but by true leadership skills which includes being able to render services to all the people, promoting democracy, promoting equality and justice in government, building the nation with roads, electricity, water system, agricultural projects, training people to manage their own affairs like planes and oil, and so on.

Many of these have not happened in the south since Kirr took over. He did a good job to organize the government, but he failed to oversee the duty of the organized government.

He failed to review projects and plans which are related to development, he has failed be tough with corruption and accountability. What happened to the former finance minister since he was accused of corruption?

Until now the Anti-Corruption commission does not have any powers; Kirr has failed to make sure that legislative laws and bills are quickly approved so that development can move faster, there is development but it is very slow like a tortoise speed.

Kirr is fit as a military man but not as an effective statesman and politician, he has failed to manage his government, too much corruption starting with former finance minister Arthur Akuien, then the chairman of the auditors-Chambers.

He is weak in decision making, he gave up about the census and now south will not get the correct census numbers.

If you go to Juba today you will see that there is very little development. Juba is capital of South Sudan , an oil producer, but it is full of rubbish all over while the president lives there and drives around the city in his land cruiser looking at all the rubbish around him. How does he feel?

I heard that world bank is now begging the authorities to do something about the rubbish in

the Capital of South Sudan, is this not embarrassing for the President?

John Sabit Atar, Nairobi , Kenya ;