South Sudan News Agency’s editor, Duop Chak Wuol. Photo: file
Addis Ababa, March 31, 2020 (SSNA) — The newly appointed minister of health has been unfairly criticized for her limited English language, a prominent South Sudanese news editor and writer says.
Last week, South Sudan’s minister of health Elizabeth Achuei Yol updated the nation about the coronavirus and thanked foreign institutions for their help. The minister was widely criticized for her limited English language skills. However, many prominent South Sudanese seem undeterred by the minister’s English language skills.
“There is a presumption, though not always reliable, that criticizing a person who is in power is good because it allows the person to make some leadership improvements. Minister Elizabeth fits within the meaning of this belief. However, nearly all the allegations that have been leveled against her because she does not speak what some of her critics branded as “good English” are absurd,” Duop wrote in an article widely published in South Sudanese news outlets.
“Does South Sudan’s constitution ban anyone who does not speak perfect English from holding a national portfolio?” he asks.
An investigation by the South Sudan News Agency reveals that South Sudan is constitutionally an English-speaking country and anyone working for the government is required to speak in English. However, an in-depth analysis also confirmed that the Constitution does not ban anyone who does not speak good English from holding a national post.
“There is no question in my mind that English is the official language of South Sudan, but this constitutional acknowledgment does not prove that trashing a South Sudanese minister who does not speak good English. This thinking reminds me of some South Sudanese who shamelessly believe that knowing a foreign language or being fluent in English is a sign of good leadership,” he says, adding “The health minister deserves to be criticized. However, criticism should be based on facts, not about her English skills. Those who think articulating the name of Coronavirus wrongly or having a questionable accent in a foreign dialect entails leadership’s immaturity should consult their conscience.”
In his article, “Health minister, coronavirus, and English language nonsense,” Duop proposes that South Sudan needs to constitutionally recognize local languages. The SSNA editor is best known for his critical articles against the South Sudanese government.
16 comments. Leave new
This guy of South Sudan News Agency is right. English fo what my people. let talk about our languages.
Excatctly what sre the qualifications of the new health minister (apart ftom being a relative to someone,)?
There are great South Sudanese educated and teained in administration (i don,t mean the former “panga and kalShinikov” brigade). People without military experience but wuth experience from creating efficient government units with governance preventing corruption. The current choice of health minister is a joke. The world is laughing at South Sudan. And rightfully so
Language is a vessel for carrying messages to the rightful owners, which is like carrying a liquid with a container.The problem is that if the vessel leaks we will miss the liquid. Your advice on promotion of national languages is even weak, because,about 80% of our so called intellectuals do not know how to read and write their own mother languages.
I do agree with him though. English is just another foreign import and speaking queen English perfectly doesn’t translate to anything. Losers like Mr. Riek Machar are considered to have PhDs which are claimed to have been obtained in English Language. But see, what they have been up to with their so-called PhDs?!
For all I care, however, I speak good English, Arabic, Kiswahili and German, Nuer (thok naath); My Dinka/muonyjang of the Sudan mother tongue is what I am always and freely comfortable with at home with family and friends know are also knowledgeable about the Dinkas/Jieng dialect.
It is however a different case when there are none Dinkas/Jiengs present by the way. Respect is always there and to avoid misunderstanding.
Mr. Duop should know that all South Sudanese dialects are all national languages. English has only been given a prominent as common denominator for some reasons known to us all.
Let any English native speaker try to learn the Dinkas/Jiengs or, Nuers, Acholis or Azandis of the Sudan language. But I bet, he/she would end up speaking something similar to Dinkas/Jiengs or those languages I had just mentioned above.
There was an English Archdeacon though, Mr. Archibald Shaw. He came to Upper Nile as a missionary. He used to be taunted by the Bor Dinkas/Jiengs to go home since an English man cannot lecture the Muonyjiengs anything.
After Archibald Shaw insisted that the Dinkas/Jiengs should take their children to school. Mr. Archibald Shaw used to go to Dinkas/Jiengs local courts and debated with Dinka/Jieng local chiefs, he even stripped naked and went to the Dinka/Jieng Bor cattle camps.
Mr. Archibald Shaw learnt the Dinka/Jieng Bor dialect than even some Bor Dinkas/Jiengs themselves.
For those South Sudanese who think, speaking English is everything. Good luck to the fools. Go to France or Germany and try to speak to a local in English, mostly in rural areas, and they will response you in Germany or French. Unless, until they genuinely realize that you don’t know German or French.
By the way, the French guard their language like an eye and just like their democracy.
My fellow South Sudanese idiots, be careful what you are wishing for. Some local South Sudanese languages are going to be swallowed up. But not the Dinkas/muonyjiengs of the Sudan language as far as I am concerned.
I learned these foreign languages in schools, but my Dinka/Jieng mother tongue is just a natural lingo given to me by mother through lullabies and all.
A person without a language, has no culture. It is the way it is always and will always will. Go to countries like Canada, the US, Caribbean, South America and Australia etc, where the foreign settlers took away the languages.
Those natives have no cultures any more, the settlers cultures was imposed on them and packaged as their culture.
Here in South Sudan, the vermin covet our country and our people to death. That our country is part of the so-called ANGLO-AMERICA empire and that South Sudanese people are these vermin subjects. Good luck to the vermin, dreaming is not a crime.
The vermin love affair with our country and our people as their hostages and bargaining chips or blackmails. But the vermin have step on the wrong people feet, the Dinkas/Muonyjiengs of the Sudan fellows.
I don’t think speaking Fluent English was the reason for critisizing of the Minister rather her appointment based on family link been an in-low with very little education background is the main reason for her qualifing to hold such position during this critical moment where now the under secretary is the one representing her. She deserved the critic due to her low education background just because she is a women. There women in this country and even in her party (SPLM-IO) who are capable than the minister and even more capable than other men who were been apointed merely based on “THOSE WHOM WE WERE WITH” or neptism
But in the light of what you have to put forth for your audience to pick and learn from ,you have to use even if not the best language but an organized and understandable package for your citizens who seek to learn from you and will some day take it on from where you’ll have left the mark .But inappropriate placement of statements and words misinforms others .Lets stop the usual blame game and accept to learn where we need to .
I think that was a critical argument to support the National Minister of health, acknowledging local language is very crucial. The concern people are raising here is about the choice of languages and audience the Minister was trying to reach. If she was speaking to South Sudanese then the right language, she should have used Local Arabic, not English. No South Sudanese is forcing anyone to use English. therefore it is upon every speaker to choose which language to used to make people understand this includes the way you want your message to reach the intended target and how you deliver those messages are some skills being referred to as Communication skill. The worry is, can the Minister have enough English skill to represent this country when she is out for a foreign Mission?. Many will say no, based on the wrong choice she has just made perhaps one week after appointment.
This is good point Mr Duop, you know that in our country many people including under age people are challenging our politician including our president which not good for the young to make the challenges against leader, theses are the people who does not want our country to be in peace.
plize’ she doesn’t a problem
because englishe is not their mather language nor she not belong to they white body’ plize! don’t agitor her.
A good leader is a good listener and a good speaker , leadership is about speaking, listening, reasoning, responding. .. Above all, language is power needed to drive intentions or objectives for people to get clear. Having a leader with poor language command is like sitting in a junk wagon that has less or no ability to run. A therefore, must prepare well while going to talk to public. In this case, supporting wrong things is irrelevant. Our official language is English and it can not be compromised when address public especially for government officials. You are free to use your mother language but in an area of that language. The truth is poor proficiency in a recognised is a sign of poor knowledge and education needed for public offices. She a room to improve being a new person in public office. Education has no end and nobody has known enough. … Let her take courage.
The first time i saw this very response on his Facebook page something came into my mind,i didn’t want to share my thoughts on the matter though.
Again! one is frowned upon and viewed as a schemer or turncoat propagandist of a certain snollygoster whose intention is to smears an “ink of decree” if one takes a firm stand on such gargantuan criticism. why do i say so?
let look at critics at different perspectives,first and perhaps, where most lettered dudes stood;suggesting Arabic! it’s not surprising that many South Sudanese want Arabic language as number one official language,in fact,public demand, especially when it comes to matters of awareness,sensitization and emergencies.why so,70% of our people at least understand Arabic, from Nimule to Aweil,Abyei or from Tambura to Upper nile. there’s no question of classic Arabic,both have the same tail.”you can still smell the honey in a dry wax.”
The street analysts. whether there’s a fume of misogyny,masochism or sexism, i’m not gonna jump to that startling conclusion. in a small analogy,Africans inherit this ideas,that a leader should always be above average,an expectation which soars on confident,compassion,in-depth knowledge,experienced and familiarity with challenges to mention just a few.
The ‘demos and kratos’ apostels. this group still hold the view,that South Sudan is jutted to be a democratic nation where any leader at level can be criticized though in a tactical maneuvering,the blind-man stone may reach the target,it happens.
The last group but most active,weighty and noxious one,those unofficial spin doctors and Facebook comedians. the issue with former is that they are snookered with concept of “us” or “we” and other luscious promises should they hit to hell the target.this game has been existing in South Sudan Politics for years let alone Splm/io. in the later, nothing much to describes them other than junkies whose job to entertain unspecified audiences, little do they know whatever they share portrays so much of where they come from and it’s traced accordingly with their actions, attitudes etc.
There are a lot more groups if we take time to analyze and read the minds of our fellow junubeen,however, i only want to stress that,not every critic criticizes for it sake. It is our obligation to change the direction of our country. tolerant and humility define completeness of leadership. draw and evaluate the critics and use them for improvement and efficacy.
As i move down towards conclusion, i’m not haphazardly attacking the leeway of anyone,not even our noble editor,Mr.Duop Chak Wall. therefore,it is sine qua non to take it as an individual opinion or observation and i stand be corrected on the above seemed actualities.
Thanks,
SSNA Editor Duop Chak, needs to know that, the National Minister of Health, Hon. Elizabeth Achuei Yol was not criticized for having failed to properly pronunced the word “coronavirus” or not being fluent in English language but her inability as a National Minister to project the necessary information needed for the public consumption at the time when she should have laid out policy measures on how to curb covid-19, and up-to-date her information was not understood. Hon. Minister should have spoken in Arabic dialect which is a national language that’s understood by most South Sudanese.
All what the people that support the honourable Minister have Failed to address is the qualifications, the educational background, the experience and the basis of appointing her to that position as opposed to other qualified South Sudanese. PLEASE EXPLAIN EDITOR DUOP?
Come on guys! Common sense must prevail. The Minister is a national figure who must without exception be able to communicate government difectives to all the tribes in the country. What are the languages that the government of South Sudan uses to communicate information to its citizens? If the Minister was appointed for Unity state or Warrap I for one wouldn’t mind because they are well known for their mix up and unrulyness.
Nuer & Dinka are power hungry/thirst and has no principles or stand except power.
Even those claiming to had required advance documents and speaks a fluential English like Dr. Lam ,not Lam Booth,and other Drs. did not yielded a good fruits to South Sudanese citizens who are in dire need of good governance from their leaders for so long after disappearance of Dr.John Garang.