Opinion | Governor Denay proves he is up to the task of governing a Jungle State than previously thought

By Deng Vanang

OPINION – Once seen as a pushover up on gubernatorial appointment, Governor Denay Jock Chagor proves several critics wrong, myself included, who thought he couldn’t outlive his 100 days in the hot seat. Given particularly his rowdy youthful age atop the tag of a green horn in politics and minority Governor from opposition alliance, SSOA under the wing of sibling rivalry of majority SPLM and SPLM-IO.

I initially and strongly dismissed his ambitious development plan to make Jonglei aviable economy from current economic decadence like any other state of South Sudan. This was a pertinent part of my analysis which still holds true today. Governor Denay’s roaring political success nevertheless foils my own prediction on the political front not to likely rule beyond one hundred days in office as balancing act on a slippery political trajectory would prove unassailable.

Not just to myself, Denay has now proven to a broader audience he can rule a troubling Jungle, an English word from which Jonglei is deriven. A hardship corner of the country where gun violence from a cocktail of routine communal faceoffs, cattle rustling and child abduction notoriously thrives unabated.

In the last year till now he unthinkably and carefully weaves a terrible mix of two rivalling ethnic groups, Nuer and Dinka into a new found harmonious social network never known since 2005. Scaled the height of political mastery to listen to all discordant voices from various political spectra for a new lease of life he currently injects into the State affairs.

He strikes a good rapport with all and sundry as his youthful followers positively cast him as one of their own to a wider warm embrace across an entire State. A breath of fresh air and first of a kind in the country ripped apart by an outright ethnic violence since 2013, flashing a spectra of likely nation-wide youth peaceful revolution dethroning traditional elite from the helm.

This positive outlook makes him a fair of safe hands in righting numerous wrongs mostly creeping in from so domineering SPLM in the state’s management in as much as is an indicative of revolutionary State doing it again. Well after a mutiny in Akobo in 1975 heralding the birth of Anyanya II. Couple of mutinies followed in 1983 in Bor, Ayod and Pochala respectively by Kerubino Kuanyin Bol, William Nyuon Bany and David Riek Macuoc which led to the historic founding of SPLM/A.

No scandal so far so good, either political, financial or social, staining or stalking his year and half reign in the State. Being now a confluence bringing to a better understanding socio-political groupings who in the past couldn’t sit at a round table, not to mention reaching consensus view points.

In a world away from home, Denay is a darling of the diplomatic community, gracing popular radio and TV live talk shows as he endears and returns a pariah South Sudan has become to the global business. He recently showed he is as well courageous as gentle in facing the ugliest face of state sponsored violence when President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s special body intimidatingly looked in his eyes straight with a cocked machine gun and finger placed on trigger throughout the flag raising and singing of national anthem ceremony in Madingbor, Jonglei.

There Denay as a true Gatdenay stood calmly at a standstill with right hand resting on his chest in national honor without fidgeting or batting an eyelid next to President Kiir. Those suspected behind the callous act thought he would bungle under threat of death and flee, leaving them the State’s Governorship had their painful rude shock to nurse. He still remains there unmoved comes what may.

The chief suspect has come to the open at last in devising yet another new plan to further undermine Denay’s popular leadership tenure in the State. Honorable deputy Governor Antipas Nyok’s unconstitutional executive order a few days ago as Jonglei State SPLM’s Chairman dismissing State capital Madingbor’s Mayor Dr. Alier Agot, mostly for an alleged personal vendetta, paints the former in a moral new low.

Antipas’ move doesn’t stop at just dismissing Alier. It further wades into undermining state’s constitution and Governor’s authority as State’s Chief Executive Officer, CEO punishable with public vote of no confidence in him. The troubled relationship between Denay and his deputy, Antipas doesn’t come as an eye openning surprise.

It was long seen coming as the duo hail from different parties in the R-revitalized Peace Agreement establishing a transitional government, now pulling through one and half years’ political ill will. Since SPLM Antipas represents still ironically sees itself as a majority party far more entrenched in popular mindset in both State and country than all the partner groups combined at all levels of government.

Lacking an independent security protection of his own and living at the mercy of its militant wing, SSPDF, SPLM took it for granted Denay would merely be an SPLM’s erant boy falsely labelled with another name. From such an unfriendly perspective SPLM views Denay as nothing but a laser guided decoy to toss here and there than a proven hard nut to crack. And so is the SPLM’s choice of Antipas becoming Denay’s deputy given his wealth of knowledge and experience in SPLM’s New Sudan Vision and Mission, an acclaim breeding more pride and arrogance than humility and statesmanship in him.

It is a raw fact I witnessed when two of us among several others were political commissars and Deputy directors in SPLM Political Affairs Commission headed by Honorable Simon Kun Puoch and chaired by Right Honorable James Wani Igga Headquartered in Yei and later Rumbek. I was deputizing late Uncle Remy Oler who later in government became Deputy Speaker in both Sudan and South Sudan’s Councils of States as the Director in the directorate of Information and Culture.

Antipas was deputizing a shadowy figure whose name I don’t longer remember in the directorate of Political Affairs. He was a top notch confidant of Dr. John Garang, the SPLM/A’s late Chairman and Commander-In-Chief having undergone overseas political training courses probably since late 1980s. Always viewed and treated as chief ideologue and a walking SPLM’s political archives with preferential privileges, Antipas would at utmost ease chat and dine with Dr. Garang as colleagues watched enviously with running saliva at a safer distance.

In a rare show of Garang’s love and confidence in his ability, Antipas in late December, 2004 was in a rush flown to Nairobi, Kenya to take part in the writing of his most longest and famous speech he delivered on 9th January, 2005 after shortly signing Comprehensive Peace Agreement, CPA at Nyayo National Stadium. When going for Dr. John’s swearing in ceremony in Khartoum on July 9th, 2005, Antipas was not accommodated with us in one popular prefabbed conference centre.

He was either with Dr. John in Republican Palace or lodged in one of spacious hotels such as Green Village Hotel the late Chairman and First Vice President frequented during our shorter stay in Khartoum. In a bedfellow kind of closeness to the late and A to Z knowledge of SPLM, a highly opinionated Antipas more often looks down on everyone in SPLM and extends the same feeling of self- importance towards colleagues serving in the government from different political entities.

Left unchecked or not redeployed by political strategists hovering around current Chairman Salva Kiir Mayardit, Antipas’ untactical antics will certainly cast SPLM in a bad light and make Denay even more popular in the giant State.

Deng Vanang is the UDRM/A’s Secretary-General and a member of SSOMA Leadership Council. He can be reached via: dvanang@gmail.com.

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