Teresa Nyankol Mathiang was a peace Icon and a liberator

 Teresa Nyankol Mathiang was a peace Icon and a liberator

By: Abraham Daljang Maker

Nyankol Mathiang was a great singer who inspired all the south Sudanese during the Liberation struggle. She was a star who used the arts of music to encourage and agitate for freedom of South Sudanese.  I was stunned by the story post on the social media, Facebook that she passed on in Juba teaching hospital. I could believe what I saw; my eyes started to swelled up with tears and I could not controlled  the ball of tear which rolled down my cheeks. My brain immediately turned on the cassette of her songs which kept singing and rewind when the songs are over. Her angelic voice kept nagging me as I lay down in my bed in the afternoon, the more I controlled the flow of the songs, and the more the tap kept rewinding itself. I never knew her personally or do I have any blood relations with her but she was like a mother to me due to her wisdom she put in words.

According to the news, Nyakol died in Juba teaching hospital, I could not help thinking why she was hospitalized in Juba teaching hospital when our politicians go to India, Jordan or United States of America for treatment when they have flu or headaches. I am not saying that our health facilities are not good, but I am just wondering why do our VIPS leave Juba teaching hospital and consult doctors in India and Jordan when the suffer from a mere common cold. Nyankol should have also been taken to such places to treat her there rather than being in juba hospital. Just like Akutkuei group who used figures of speech and symbolism in their songs, she was also a very important person in the liberation struggle who should have been treated like any other politician in South Sudan.  I also expect her to be given some sort of national recognition by the government like two days on national mourning, but I saw nothing being done apart from taking her remains in plan to Abyei.  Nyankol was not very different from Wangai Maathai of Kenya, maathai was a women activist and environmentalist who fought verbally for the rights of women in Kenya and advocated for environmental protection. In the same way, Mama Teresa was also freedom fighter who used her songs to evoke emotions into people’s mind and create courage to all South Sudanese in the struggle. She was not a political liar like those who promise a bridge where there is no river; instead she was a realist who delivered the right word in her songs. I was not very happy with international media for having not broadcast her demise. Wangari Maathai’s death was in the headlines on the BBC, yet she was not very different from Nyakol. Was there really any difference between the two mothers? No, certainly not at all, South Sudan liberation struggle was fought my many people both physically and verbally, therefore people like Teresa who spearheaded some campaigns like Abyei issues should be recognizes in any way.

This has remained me of the Steve Biko of South Africa who was brutally murdered by the apartheid regime. Biko was a hero, liberator and politician who scarified his own life at the tender age of 30. Although Biko has a lot of universities halls and institutions named after him, his names seem to be fading off the people’s mind day by day. I am not sure whether there is a single monument build and named in memory of him, and if at all it is there, then it might not be so popular. I don’t even think that there are bank notes in South Africa with his portrait. So why do we easily forget some people’s contributions in any struggle and forge ahead with the life? I am not suggesting that everyone man or woman in South Sudan who fought in the struggle in any form should be given a national mourning, but we should at least handpick those with tangible contributions in the movement like Nyakol. She will be remembered by all South Sudanese due to her inspirations in songs, she will live on our memories forever, but I would suggest she should be remembered by naming a school, perhaps a national school in memory of her,  naming a street could be very good one as this will  keep her in our minds.

On behave of all south Sudanese youths; I would like to say that, “we love you Mama Teresa for shaping our morals in your songs, we shall remember you in all things we do,” We Love you mother RIP!!!