16-Jul-2010
In 2009, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) in Port Elizabeth, South Africa made history as it admitted a group of sixteen senior officials from Southern Sudan. The group was enrolled for a leadership course that is coordinated and run through an agreement by Government of South Sudan (GOSS), the African Educational Trust (AET) and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU).
Coming out of more than two decades civil war, GOSS prioritized capacitating its officials who did not complete academic programs due to the war of liberation between1983-2005. A huge group of former army personnel have shown interest in resuming studies and therefore take any opportunity for academic advancement seriously. The current program at the NMMU has benefited many senior officials and is geared towards supporting many more officials, for several years to come.
The officers enrolled in this program are still committed to fulltime responsibilities back in Southern Sudan and are expected to balance the three year course requirements as well. For there convenience, the course is presented through a specialized arrangement, where some weeks are undertaken in South Africa and also in Southern Sudan. Upon completing a minimum of 360 credits, the participants will be awarded a Masters in Strategic Policy Studies and Transformational Leadership.
Considering the importance of this course for GOSS capacity building, multitudes of people have gained interest in the program. Many more GOSS officials are interested to join the program as a result of the current officials’ interaction with various media from South African and international. The media developed an interest in this group of officials because each of them carries a unique version of personal experiences in the long years of civil war in Sudan.
The stagnation of these processes in Southern Sudan has consequently led to the hindrance of development, nation building and reconstruction. The lack of proper educational systems has also contributed to governance challenges. This step by the NMMU is therefore a crucial contribution to the academic capacity of Southern Sudan. The leadership program concentrates on issues pertaining to Diplomacy, International Law, Conflict Management, and International Finance. In addition, the university further assists them with courses such as African Literature, Computer Training, Academic Training and Distance Tutoring. All these modules provide the participants with a holistic approach to governance issues.
The overall choice to enrol these Southern Sudanese for the leadership program could be termed as a very bold and positive step towards the right direction. The participants themselves have expressed their enthusiasm in their course and one has the following remark:
“As we are a new born nation, the need for better leadership, good economic policies, international relations, security for state and humans, respect for international law based on human rights and gender equality are paramount”.
From the above quotation, one certainly gets the feeling that within the leadership, there is a critical mass with skills to approach multidimensional issues. More Southern Sudanese should be encouraged to follow suit and enhance a better Southern Sudan for all!
By Nancy Muja Simon (an intern with the GOSS Southern Africa Liaison Office in Pretoria- July 2010)
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