It Is The Economy Going Stupid, Bill Clinton Once Quipped

By Deng Vanang,

Feb 15, 2016(Nyamilepedia) —- Three years ago Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon lost his eight year – old powerful Vice President’s post following months of protracted political wrangles between him and his former boss, the Republic President and army General, Salva Kiir Mayardit.

Before his sacking, pro-government lobbyists had their sleepless nights and pairs of shoes’ soles worn out while paying regular visits to President as they pressed him to axe an enigmatic Machar.

So they went on saying, his removable had no dire consequences than expected storm in the tea cup what so ever against President’s reservations. Not knowing most goodies associated with happy life would flee with him into the bushes.

Granted, his sacking sparked off rounds of ululations and slaughter of fat bulls by ethnic lobbyists and political opportunists that lined up to benefit from his resounding fall.

Now barely three years down the line, it is completely different tune the same lobbyists and busy bodies are singing louder and clearer.

Their recently adopted new tune is begging in tears and on bended knees the same Jesus Christ of Nazareth they previously crucified on rough wooden cross to immediately return to his old job in Juba and save them as the recently appointed First Vice President based on terms of Compromise Peace Agreement in order to form Transitional Government of National Unity, TGONU. Or else government must fall within weeks.

However, ironically in utter disregards for the peace’s implementation, the same groups selectively choose to implement clauses that favor them while discard others they don’t like in the agreement. Such as suspension of 28 states, coming of SPLM/A-IO’s soldiers of about 3,000 strong a head of Machar’s anticipated arrival and wholesome incorporation of peace agreement into new law.

Reason behind hasty hue and cry for Machar to return is to re-fix self-inflicted mess, the cash-starved economy now steadily going down the drains with long term retrieval afterwards to get it back on course. For all pillars probing up the economy do come down helplessly tumbling.

With hyperinflation in commodity prices penetrating the roof into blue skies and devaluation of local Sudanese Pounds reaches its highest low of 3200 per a 100 United States Dollars, an equivalent of a national government’s Director monthly salary.

It is from this same meagre amount that government’s official pays bills for his family’s shelter, food, education and medical attention in the neighboring country where they live, including his personal up keep in mindboggling expensive Juba.

This is to no wonder South Sudanese ruling elites’ faulty economic plan has backfired and vehemently pitted the poor against the poorest of the society. Which is as to why some wayward comrades-in-arms have turned barrels on their employers, the citizens they were orientated during training to protect, in money extortions and desperate bit to survive the excruciating cash crunch. A bleak situation which has already dimmed once brighter spots of gallant Tiger battalion.

Few afford only a supper meal a day with breakfast and dinner becoming a foregone luxury. And substituted in their place, are funerals and wedding parties to which hungry citizens flock to quench thirst and tame hunger bangs.

Among the hard hit, in addition to ordinary citizens, are transport businesses suddenly ground to a halt on bumpy – dusty roads for having no fuel and neither customers. Foreign businesses closed up chop amidst rising tide of insecurity and grime shortage of hotly chased United States Dollars in the city to buy and import required consumer goods. Such inability of both industries to absorb the chocking down turn has consequently conspired to put the nation on an economic standstill.

Further complicating plucking economic reforms in a country ripped apart by on-going civil war is the government itself that has already brought the country to the cross roads it is today.

That is in its printing of more valueless currency without corresponding production of highly sought after basic goods and services so as to put both supply and demand in necessary state of an equilibrium.

Which resultantly thrusts the government onto a cliff after exhausting all its maneuvers to either temporarily let go Pounds for Dollars or adopt friendly neighbors’ currencies as medium of exchange, otherwise it shall stagger into an abyss it so badly dreads.

Deng Vanang is the journalist and author, to be reached at: dvanang@gmail.com

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