Lakes state sacks three government reporters in allowances row
November 12, 2013 (RUMBEK) – Three journalists working for the state-run radio station in South Sudan’s Lakes state have been sacked and two reporters suspended for three months without payment.
The decision was taken by the Lakes state ministry of information and communication, Dut Makoi Kuok, in close consultation with the Lakes state caretaker governor Maj-Gen Matur Chut Dhuol.
A document signed by minister Kuok he was able to make the decision in line with articles 110 sub1 and 109A of Lakes state’s constitution.
The dismissal and suspension letters were presented to the Radio Rumbek FM-98 journalists and reporters on 8 November.
The dismissed reporters are Abraham Jonglei Jamus, Peter Macuei Ater and Mabor Riak Magok.
The suspended reporters are Abraham Acien Deng and David Kuacreng Nhial.
One of the dismissed reporters said that he had made written complaints through the radio station’s director to present their demands in terms of financial allowances dating back to 2007.
The reporter also said that he had been asking for a promotion and better safety conditions, claiming that the he and his colleagues regularly experience harassment from security services.
The minister “received the complaint and accused us of having politicize the paper and undermined his credibility” the reporter said.
One of the staff who requested anonymity, said the the minister was not happy because the letter was copied to other institutions.
The “minister is looking at us as he enemies, but we are not his enemies – we are doing out work.”
Another of the reporters said that the government was “assaulting press freedom daily, they are threatening us saying that we are government employee, we are not being protected from harassment, our colleagues sometime ended up being beaten when the walk home at night after closing [the]Radio station at 11pm. Where is the protection as government employees? We are not enjoying our employment and we are not allowed to report the facts. Both [the] community and [the] security [services] are hurting us.”
Dut Makoi Kuok, the minister of information and communication confirmed that decision was made in consultation with the Lakes state governor.
“Since I wrote suspension letters and dismissal, many of those staffs wrote to me their apology letters and the ministry will reconsider the most constructive apology” he said.
In June, Lakes state’s government shutdown Catholic Radio Good News in Rumbek but the station reopened after pressure from the central government in Juba.
(ST)
ST – Lakes state government shutdown Catholic Radio Good News in Rumbek