South Sudan’s Minister of Justice Paulino Wanawilla Undo on Tuesday said he is not responsible for the delays in the payment of the judges in the judiciary. Minister Wanawilla said his ministry is not part of the judiciary.
“The whole thing you should know: the Ministry of Justice is not part of judiciary. Of course, I am a member of judiciary council, not as somebody who is responsible for judiciary,” Wanawilla responded to a question yesterday about unpaid salaries of judges.
South Sudanese judges last week wrote a letter to the Minister of Justice warning that they are going for strike because of three months unpaid salaries. He confirmed that he received a copy of the letter about the strike but pointed out that the judiciary is an independent body with no link with his ministry.
“What is happening in judiciary I cannot speak on it. Yes, they gave me the copy but in my capacity not as the minister of justice but as a member of judiciary service council,” he said.
He was asked as a member of that council what is his stand, the minister replied,
“Everybody deserves to be paid but when. Even now I am standing before you here as minister, I have not been paid for three months. Do I have to go on strike? We can all go for strike,” he said.
File photo