South Sudan Judges have gone for months without pay
Dec 19, 2020(Nyamilepedia) — South Sudan judges are going through difficult conditions as they have gone for six month without pay.
Swearing of judges in South Sudan by President Kiir.(Photo: file)
According to a judge at the Court of Appeal in Juba, Judge Stephen Simon, many of the judges do not report to work as expected as they do not have the means of transport.
“The court is going through difficult conditions. We have a challenge of transport for judges. The last time vehicles were bought for us was in 2011 and they are now very old and broken down. They are not being repaired. Judges use their own means to come to the court,” Judge Stephen said.
“The number of other supporting staff has reduced, they don’t even report to work regularly. They don’t have a means of transport. We have not received a salary for 6 months.”
The judge expressed concerns over what he calls poor working conditions of judicial officials.
In June 2017, judges and justices went on strike demanding better working conditions and pay raise.
They also called for the removal of the Chief Justice, Chan Reech Madut, whom they said had failed to address their demands.
In September, government employees had said they are finding it more and more difficult to feed their families as their savings dwindle.
Most of the civil servants have turned into carrying other businesses on the side to try and supplement the irregular payment of the government.
Juma Abdullah who is a civil servant had said at the time that many public servants like him have started working a second job to put food on the table.
“Our salaries are off and on and life keeps on becoming hard each and every day, so I have decided to buy a motorcycle so that I can work as a boda-boda man, just to provide for my family. People’s livelihood in Juba is really getting tough, especially for the civil servants,” said Abdullah.
The same month, the finance minister said his ministry did not have the money to pay government workers their past due salaries, dismaying civil servants who have been waiting for their paychecks since April or May.