Water is Life, but why Foreigners wanted to play with our Lives? Can our Government Intervene to stop this Exploitation once and for all?
By: Ateny Wek Ateny
The strike by water tankers in Juba since yesterday has taken our almost non-existing or dwindling economic ability to afford basics needs out of control. A decision to go on strike by water- tankers owners and tankers drivers, is so deadly and is pushing this country to the brink. Though we are politically busy animals, and don’t easily recognize non political events, here is the hidden politics attempting to kill us. The strike by water-takers owners association is playing this.
Owned by either less nationalist South Sudanese who don’t have the life of this nation in their hearts, or by foreigners, mainly Eritreans, Ethiopians, Ugandans and Kenyans to say the least, this last strike by water tankers owners may have been paid for in an attempt to overthrow the government. Otherwise, a magician should tell us what is it?
The people of South Sudan are amongst the most resilient, if not the most amazing, miraculous, and extraordinary people on earth. We trust, we persevere, we wait, we can even start dying slowly, yet we thank God, our nation, our government and even still think as people regardless. Unfortunately, the so called foreign investors, foreign workforce, and foreign owned enterprises are taking us for granted.
It is good when they haven’t reach our lives which is- “water, ”. I don’t blame the foreigners and South Sudanese who are investing in water, but they must be properly regulated. This must be seriously look at, by our government to stop this exploitation. We didn’t liberate this country in order to live a life of third class citizens.
Our people are already living the lives of second class citizens in their own country due to many factors. But, living with or without unaffordable and (even less drinkable water) may have dropped them to third class citizenship. Who doesn’t know we didn’t liberate this country because we don’t have water? Just for a quick reminder, we fought for “Justice, Liberty and Equality”. So, even though no country has achieved equality, we must have liberty and justice for all. So, if the government hasn’t deliver this too basic service — by providing water, even when we have the longest river in the world (the Nile river) running inside our country, the government shouldn’t also fail to regulate the flow of water to the ordinary citizens.
I am cognizant the majority of government officials have their boreholes dug in their houses, and so they can’t understand what I am saying here. The water tankers got on strike to protest the rise in taxes and fuel. This is also to say, the American dollar is rising against South Sudanese pounds and so water should also rise. The connection is in the rise of fuel prices which is being adjusted on daily bases to commensurate with the rise of dollars. This is absolutely nonsensical. It is the exploitation at best by foreigners.
Finally, it is important to note, that no much taxes were levied on water so far by Juba Municipality and Juba Urban Water which runs boreholes across Juba city – constructed by JICA. But, greed, exploitation by foreigners, and maybe the dark forces attempting to topple the government are to blame. The water is sold to the tanker owner at 700 SSP per barrel (Drum). Each tank capacity ranges between 50/70 drums. So, 700 SSP multiply by 50 or 70 is equal to 35,000 SSP and 49,000 SSP per respective tanker. The tax is 2,000 SSP per tank. Add to 35,000 SSP or 49,000 SSP, it is 37,000 SSP and 51,000 SSP per each tank. The fuel, ranges between 400,000 SSP or 50,000 to fill a full-tank of diesel tanker. It could take more than a week to fill a tank again. It is not a daily thing so that, it is affected by the daily rise of USD.
The Municipality wants the drum sell at 1,500 SSP which triggered the strike. It is a double price, yet the foreigners and the greedy tankers owners want 5,000 SSP per each drum – what a greed? 5000 SSP per drum is equal to 250,000 SSP — more than 200,000 SSP the interest per 50 drum-tanker and 350,000 SSP per 70- drum tanker, so is this not unreasonable greed?
Inclusion, the government must intervene to stop this exploitation. Even if, it mean to withdraw licenses of the foreign drivers or even given them few days to leave the country. We don’t have South Sudanese citizens working in the same counties those foreigners came from. We don’t care, if their embassies accredited to Juba intervene. International diplomacy doesn’t means the citizens of the friendly countries come to exploits their fellow counterparts. So anything that will rescue our people from dying of thirst is what is now needed comes what. Hunger may kill human being in 8 days, a thirst in 2 or 3 days if the victim is confined to the room, but oxygen kills in 8 minutes. The water is next to oxygen. We must be careful.
The writer is the former Press Secretary in the Office of the President, and the views expressed in this are his own, devoid of anyone’s views, directly or indirectly. He could be reached by email: atenypiokerwek@gmail.com
