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National News

Heads, deputies of national legislative committees get brand new cars

The National Parliament has acquired 85 brand new vehicles for the leadership of the August House including the Chairpersons and deputies of the Specialized Committees.

John Agany who doubles as the chairperson of information committee and spokesperson of the parliament says the vehicles arrived in the country three weeks ago.

Agany – who also received a brand-new Toyota V6 car this week – said 34 the vehicles were delivered to the chairpersons, while their deputies received Toyota land cruisers.

He said the leadership of the parliament and some senior lawmakers also received the cars.

According to Agany, the process of purchasing the vehicles started two years ago, but due to financial constraints, the finance ministry could not deliver them on time.

“The Rt. Hon. Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba did her level best to arrive into this state and she was able to deliver the cars to the new chairpersons.

“The cars arrived three weeks ago, you know the processes of bringing cars is very long, people go to Dubai, they come through Mombasa and from Mombasa they are supposed to be driven to Juba. They brought only 34 cars for the chairpersons and also deputy chairs they were given 42 cars.

“So in fact, it is like 85 cars. In our time, because of the difficulties that our government is in, they provided only one car and we have gone for two years without [cars] so it was really a struggle from the ministry of finance to make it happen.

“When the new minister is appointed in the national level, immediately in the following morning he is granted a car, but for us lawmakers who actually do the business of this budgeting making, we were patient all this time,” he said.

When asked how much was spent on the purchase of the vehicles, Agany declined to comment.

In August last year, the Minister of Finance and Planning said he intended to discourage the purchase of luxury vehicles such as V8 and V6 models by levying heavy taxation on their imports.

According to Dr. Barnaba Bak Chol, this move would help divert funds towards more pressing economic priorities and ensure that resources are channeled towards the recovery and growth of the nation.

In May 2015, South Sudan’s parliament raised a motion to prohibit the purchase of V8 vehicles by public institutions.

Lawmaker Zakaria Matur Makuer from Lakes State said a lot of public funds are being spent by government institutions every time there was a reshuffle.

Matur said South Sudan is the number one importer of Toyota Land Cruiser V8 vehicles in the region, if not in the world.

He said that V8 vehicles are very expensive to buy, run, and maintain.

Also in November last year, Bank of South Sudan’s First Deputy Governor called on government institutions to stop buying expensive cars such as V8s to save more money to improve the economy.

Samuel Yanga said the country can emulate the austerity measures the Khartoum government took in 1992, when all expensive government vehicles were sold, which saved 13 per cent of the country’s revenues.

He said V8s are costly and are not contributing to the economy of the country.

Samuel also added that the money used for luxurious vehicles can be utilized for service delivery.

NEC says govt recommends 40% reduction in its proposed budget

The National Elections Commission says the government has recommended that the body  reduce its proposed budget of over 250 billion pounds by 40 percent

Early this month, the commission’s chairperson Professor Abednego Akok, presented to the government a proposed budget to facilitate its activities including visiting the states and administrative areas

Some of amount from the budget will be used to restructure the state offices and embark on nationwide civic education.

According to Professor Akok, the commission will use some amount to clear rent arrears for the past three years.

Speaking to Eye Radio yesterday, he said the Cabinet Affairs Minister told the institution to reduce the budget by 40 percent, but the commission suggested a 17 percent reduction.

“We have presented to the government the budget for elections, but two days ago (Monday) they returned it to us with the recommendation that it must be reduced by 40 percent.

“We sat down to implement their request. We came down to reduce it by 17 percent and we are waiting for them to call us during the budget presentation.

“We are serious that this budget should be approved for us and to be paid through consolidated funds. This is what will make us do the job without worrying.

“You have now seen there is no electricity now in the headquarters here. In the commission, we need to settle the rent of the building and we have about three years we have not paid anything.”

Only 11 months are left for South Sudan to go for its first ever post-independence general elections amid skepticism over slow implementation of critical provisions of the 2018 peace.

 

Juba city under watch as police install surveillance cameras

The Ministry of Interior has reinstalled the security cameras on streets of Juba to monitor and trace criminal activities in the city.

In 2017, President Salva Kiir, launched surveillance drones and 150 cameras in 11 different locations of the capital, Juba.

In recent months, scores of people were killed in Juba, motorcycles robbed, individuals’ valuables snatched, and homes attacked at night.

The cameras will enable the police to follow whatever happens on the roads while sitting in the office with the aim to monitor criminal movements or activities across the national capital.

The launch  yesterday was attended by the Minister of Interior Angelina Teny and the Inspector General of Police General Atem Marol Biar.

“To anyone who is in Juba today, know that anything you do we are seeing you, do not think you will commit crime in the dark and you will not be arrested.

“If you do anything you will be arrested at your house so, it is better for you from today on wards to leave crimes and find a job that will benefit you,”  warns Interior Minister Teny.

S. Sudan police help Sudan recover smuggled vehicles

South Sudan police have seized many vehicles that have been smuggled into the country from neighboring Sudan amid the ongoing war.

Major Daniel Justin revealed this to Eye Radio a week after a Sudanese technical team met with their counterparts in Juba where they presented a data of stolen cars.

The Sudanese delegation had come to track reportedly 32,958 cars smuggled into the neighboring countries including South Sudan

“They came and sat with our traffic police here and they brought us the data of stolen vehicles, so that one will help us actually to identify any vehicle coming from Sudan. We will check the data to know wither it’s a stolen car or not.

According to General Justin, South Sudan police have seized many vehicles in the borders of Aweil and Renk without stating the data.

“Now we have seized many cars in the borders of Aweil and Renk, our team here are going there to crosscheck the plate numbers because we have now acquired the data of stolen vehicles in Khartoum, said Gen Justin.

The police spokesperson says the Interior Ministry will dispatch a team to areas where the cars have been impounded to crosscheck the plate numbers.

The Sudanese media reported that the country’s police have blocked all stolen vehicles in the traffic system and called on citizens to report the crimes.

 

Ex-Lakes Governor Matur Chut dies, aged 70

The former Governor of Lakes State General Matur Chut Dhuol has died in a hospital in Juba following a long sickness.

The late elder brother confirmed his demise to Eye Radio this morning.

Makuei Chut Dhuol said the freedom fighter and SPLA commander who joined the movement the early days of the liberation struggle, succumbed to illness related to high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney and heart complications.

Late General Chut died at about 70.

” He was born in 1954. CurrentlY,  I am in Rumbek to prepare the burial, and they will bring the body here in Rumbek. We have just concluded a meeting with the Lakes State governor and he committed himself to take care of the burial and funeral.

Bereaved Makuei said the late bother is survived with several sons and daughters.

“My late brother Matur Chut had several children, he was sick for a number of years because of the sickness of heart, diabetes, blood pressure and kidney issues,” he said.

Matur Chut served as Care taker governor of Lakes state from 2013 before being appointed as governor of defunct Western Lakes State in 2017.

He was relieved in Presidential decree in 2019.

 

President Ruto accepts Kiir’s plea to mediate peace talks

Kenyan President William Ruto has confirmed his acceptance to mediate peace talks between South Sudan government and the hold out groups.

Ruto said he accepted to request on December 25, 2023.

“I accepted the request of my brother President Kiir to host and conclude the remaining phase of the peace talks that have been going on between the Government of South Sudan and hold-out opposition parties in Rome, Italy, under the auspices of the Community of Sant’Egidio.”

In a post on his official Facebook page Tuesday afternoon, the Kenyan Head of State said he had a phone conversation with President Salva Kiir.

Ruto said he explained to President Kiir on the steps his government has taken to realise this imperative.

According to him, upon receiving the President’s request, he reached out to the Community of Sant’Egidio, applauded them for hosting the talks, and invited them to work with his government to bring these talks to a fruitful conclusion.

He also said he personally reached out to all the hold-out opposition parties under the South Sudan Opposition Movements Alliance while expressing his desire to ensure an all-inclusive and equitable mediation.

Ruto said he was “encouraged that almost all the parties have responded positively to our call and Kenya is currently making the necessary arrangements to welcome the parties to Nairobi for pre-mediation consultations.”

He added that they invite all friends of South Sudan, including IGAD, the East African Community, the UN, the AU, the Quad and all Partner countries to support this noble effort.

Mr Ruto ended his remark saying ‘this is the time to give the people of South Sudan an opportunity to enjoy lasting peace and prosperity.”

 

PPC commences registration of political parties

South Sudan Political Parties’ Council has commenced the registration of unregistered political parties across the Country.

There were reportedly 14 political parties registered in South Sudan, according to records at the Political Parties Council.

However many parties emerged following the eruption of the 2013 and 2016 conflicts.

These include parties under the South Sudan Opposition alliance, and the SPLM factions such as SPLM-IO, and Real SPLM.

Other parties that emerged after the 2016 conflict include the National Salvation Front led by General Thomas Cirilo and the South Sudan United Front led by General Paul Malong, among others.

According to the Chairperson of the Political Parties Council James Akol Zakayo, any political party intending to participate in the upcoming general elections should now register.

“…order number one for the commencement of registration of unregistered political parties according to the provision of the article 197 A of the transitional constitution of the Republic of South Sudan 2011 as amended, read together with section 8 subsection 6 and 7/ 11 E/ 12/14/13 of the political party’s act 2012 amended, and regulation 49 of the political parties regulation mended2024 and cognisant …do hereby announce the beginning of provisional and full registration of unregistered political parties in the country,” he read the directive.

“This order shall come into force on the date of its signature which is today [Tuesday]  the 23rd of January 2024.

James Akol went on to say “Each party that aspires to be registered must draw its members from two-thirds of the ten states and the three administrative areas.

“You need to have representations in all ten states, and your party must reflect the citizens of South Sudan. It shouldn’t be a tribal party; rather, it must be a party that captures all the tribes in South Sudan.”

In November 2023 President Salva Kiir reconstituted the National Political Parties Council (PPC) and appointed officials to lead the three institutions.

The Political Parties Council is mandated to register, monitor, regulate, and de-register political parties.

The other functions of the Council are to issue certificates of registration to political parties, maintain records of registered political parties, and administer the Political Parties Fund.

South Sudan has scheduled the official first-ever general elections at the end of the transitional period in December 2024 as per the 2018 peace agreement.

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