A New Front Of Subtle Political Opportunism: There is a new wave of political opportunism, strikingly prevailing among South Sudanese educated folks. The costume in which it is dressed up acts as a veil that deflects away the fragile curiosity of the less informed citizens. The costume on spotlight is the supposed sense of nationalism, and those dressed up in it are either the neutrals or the nationalists. The common sentiment among this wave of pretenders is that, once one has received a degree at a certain university, or has been fostered by an SPLMs figure, he/she is a nationalist; that is to say, he/she has out-grown communal obligations. In other words, being identified with a given community (not necessarily a tribe) is presented as a matter, the rejection of which deserves public denouncement. And any other citizen who tries to advance the core interest of a particular community is talked about with contempt and ridicule; as is witnessed with some people being described as tribalists (without paying regards to definition whatsoever). But are these nationalists justified in their exercise of mockery and scorn toward their objects of mean treatment? Every citizen who relies on fishing, farming, hunting, gathering or even pastoralism, for survival, but who also resides within the now territorial land of South Sudan, is a nationalist by default. Whatever puts them or their means of survival to destruction, is essentially malicious and anti-nationalist. In what sense, then, are these political dreamers to be perceived as nationalists? Are they promoting the collective interest of all communities? Or are they perpetuating, in their own small ways, the collective interest of organized elites? The elites of South Sudan, both the sophisticated ones and their students, have so far portrayed themselves as nothing but debris floating upon the Niles waters. Like rumtoc, they have uprooted themselves from their respective communities. Them and their immediate relatives have uprooted themselves from their respective communities. And any danger to which a particular community is put is purely treated as a subject of idle speculation, among the elites. The elites are too socially, politically and economically elevated, above their common fellow citizens, to intervene with practical and prompt solutions. This is the genesis of corrupt tendencies in the transaction of public benefits, and wild behaviour in public service generally. What is the relationship between a floating rumtoc (debris), which roots are existing independent of the soil (ground), and the soil itself? Probably the Niles waters. If the elites are not accountable to their communities, how could they not be idle and corrupt? To my self-claimed nationalists, when you call yourselves such, while giving your opponents a scornful lot of a tribalist, you owe your opponents an explanation- when you are prompted to proceed in the way you do. It is with the help of this behaviour of opportunistic instinct that we end up with a country unworthy of name. In addition, the promotion of elitist sentiment is tantamount to the promotion of anti-communalism. We South Sudanese, and all Africans for that matter, are communal by nature. Our systems of learning and governing ought to be in line with our nature, as a people. KMG.
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 06:42:43 +0000
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