---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: John Ashworth <[email protected]> Date: Sun, 14 Jul 2013 12:42:05 +0300 Subject: [sudan-john-ashworth] 'Have we really become a culture of corruption?' To: Group <[email protected]>
Have we really become a culture of corruption? Are small thieves any better than big thieves? Jok Madut Jok | 11/07/13 When everyone seems to scheme to get advantage over others, one can’t help begin to think that there is a culture of corruption in our entire society. Government drivers cheat on the amount of fuel they put in cars, mechanics replace the good parts in your car with the old, plumbers deliberately leave poor workmanship in your house with hope of being called back after a week, accountants and auditors fix the books to look neat while having nicked a couple of SSP here and there, a police officer extort money from motorists on charges of slightly deflated tires, and even when children are sent to buy sugar in the neighborhood shop and they don’t return change to the parents. What should we call this? A culture of corruption? The irony of our situation, all across South Sudan, is that everyone complains of corruption, from top officials in the executive to SPLM party leaders to state governors, national ministers, including the ones who were served with a letter by the president last year to return stolen money. Presidential advisors, the Vice President and the President himself are all complaining about corruption. So who is exactly doing corruption if everyone in the position of power, the senior executive officers, the middle cadres in the ministries, even the businessmen who cheated on the Dura contracts, the mechanics, drivers and plumbers, housewives, are all complaining? My observation is that we have all become entangled in a culture of corruption. This culture goes something like this: people no longer lose face for stealing public property, and instead stealing from the public has become a source of praise. Stealing from one’s neighbors or picking pockets or breaking into homes have now become the only behaviors that qualify as theft. Whereas public property is fair game. I am sure many of you will have heard the phrase that “so and so is so intelligent, he got into public office just the other day, and look how much he has already done for himself.” Since when did we become a society that applauds theft? Every time I become content with life as I see it lived everyday by South Sudanese, convinced that things may be tough but will surely improve with time, I get a shock. Lately, my sense of hope has frequently been challenged by despair and I vacillate between the two, hope and despair. While it is important to find ways hold public officials accountable and that corruption must be fought, I have begun to wonder who is going to do the fight if everyone is doing it. It is no longer about having enough to eat, as the ones who already eat enough are the ones demanding more. I am now convinced that corruption will only die when we all come to realize that our nation will never move an inch forward as long as we believe in the value of ill-gotten gains. Forget the hollow slogans of zero tolerance to corruption. I don’t care anymore who is chanting this slogan, president or street sweeper and everyone in-between. https://www.facebook.com/jok.m.jok/posts/10153017627050296 END ______________________ John Ashworth Sudan, South Sudan Advisor [email protected] +254 725 926 297 (Kenya mobile) +211 919 695 362 (South Sudan mobile) +27 79 832 8834 (South Africa mobile) +44 750 304 1790 (UK/international) +88 216 4334 0735 (Thuraya satphone) PO Box 52002 - 00200, Nairobi, Kenya This is a personal e-mail address and the contents do not necessarily reflect the views of any organisation -- -- The content of this message does not necessarily reflect John Ashworth's views. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, John Ashworth is not the author of the content and the source is always cited. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "sudan-john-ashworth" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.co.za/group/sudan-john-ashworth --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "sudan-john-ashworth" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SouthSudanKob/CAJb14opOxHUoHDN%3D8QHRBU54yAQm4Y%3DMDaRWmEdu0DKEHwuHyg%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
