BY PAULINO NYIGILO LAU
In South Sudan today, truth no longer walks with its head held high. It moves quietly, almost barefoot, wrapped in rags, while lies stroll confidently through our national life dressed in fine suits and full stomachs. The lie has become the loudest voice in the room, accusing, distorting, and shifting blame with ease.
We are living in times when those who speak honestly are treated as the problem, while those who lie boldly are celebrated as leaders. What once was a nation built on the hope of liberation now struggles under the weight of falsehoods that have seeped into every corner of public life.
The spirit of national service of putting country above self has been twisted. When young people call for reform, accountability, or better governance, their voices are treated as a threat. The system behaves as if honest change will expose too much, strip too many masks, and reveal what has been hidden for years.
Instead of embracing reform, lies have captured the heart of our institutions. They sit where justice should sit. They punish those who dare to speak truth and reward those who survive through dishonesty, tribal patronage, or blind loyalty.
This is how tribalism becomes a political tool, how kleptocracy becomes a lifestyle, how nepotism becomes normal.
Truth today is not allowed to roam freely. It is quarantined, forced into silence, and pushed into the corners of society. Meanwhile, men wrapped in the garments of deception continue to enrich themselves without shame. They exploit the system, manipulate the law, and profit while ordinary citizens suffer.
Nonetheless, let us remember one thing: lies are powerful only for a moment. They dominate loudly, but they do not last. History has shown us again and again that truth walks slowly, but it always arrives. It always outlives those who try to bury it.
South Sudan deserves a future where truth can walk proudly again. A nation where honesty is a strength, not a crime. A system where justice cannot be bought, and leadership is earned, not inherited through tribe or political deception.
The struggle continues, because it must. Lies may be sitting on the throne today, but they will not rule forever. Truth, no matter how wounded, always finds its way back.
The writer is a concerned citizen of South Sudan.
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.