By William Madouk
Secretary-General of the United People’s Alliance (UPA), Lual Dau has criticized his SPLM counterpart, Peter Lam Both, for praising South Sudanese public servants for “enduring a year without salaries” as “true heroes of liberation.”
Dau described the remarks as “mocking” the hardships faced by government employees.
On December 27, 2024, Peter Lam Both, Secretary-General of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), acknowledged the severe economic challenges facing the country. However, he lauded public sector workers for their resilience despite months of delayed salaries.
“I want to appreciate the people of South Sudan as SG of SPLM. I have seen something in our people that I have never seen with anybody in the world,” Lam said.
Lam said it rarely happens in history that people can work for one year without pay, adding that the South Sudanese public workforce has it because they believe in the country.
“I want to tell them [South Sudanese], they are the true heroes of our liberation because you wake up in the morning, you come to your workplace, you go back to your houses and there is nothing,” he noted.
He also hinted the government’s efforts to restore oil production, improve tax collection and economic stabilization in the year 2025 that would meet citizens expectation.
In rebuttal, Lual who also serves as the UPA Spokesperson, stated that his party vehemently disagrees with Lam’s statement.
While he acknowledges that Mr. Lam admitted the difficulties faced by South Sudanese with no salaries for 14 months, widespread food insecurity, and a collapsing healthcare system, Dau said the characterization of people as ‘heroes’ for enduring suffering is utterly unacceptable, especially coming from the ruling party.
He further asserted that the government has a fundamental responsibility to provide for its citizens, and the current situation, where basic needs are unmet, is a direct consequence of governmental failures.
“Is that the only policy of the SPLM, that is left? to mock our citizens that they are world heroes by being 14 months without pay? It shows that the Secretary-General is out of touch,” he said.
“But for South Sudanese who have gone without a salary, his message was, you are a hero of struggle? This is unbelievable,” he added.
Dau continued “As we speak, our people are suffering. Kids live without food, and families without food across the country. We have to do something better. And this is what the United People’s Alliance is all about, and what the Tumaini Consensus is all about.”
Civil servants have gone for over a year without getting their salaries. Early this month, President Salva Kiir directed the line ministries to prioritize the payment of salaries.