Highlights
- President Kiir addressed the rumours of his death
- Kiir asked people to take precautionary measures as the number of COVID-19 cases increases
- Kiir never handed any leadership to his deputies.
In the last few days, South Sudanese social media pages were filled with messages of President Kiir being in poor health condition, and some alleged that the President handed over the leadership of the country to one of his Vice Presidents.
Many of the Government supporters called for the President to address the nation to prove the stories were wrong. To assure the public that he was in command, the Presidential Press Secretary Ateny Wek issued a short notice on his personal Facebook profile about the planned press conference.
"For 21 years of war, you should have known who can run away from a bad situation and who cannot run. I'm one of the people who said that my bones would be buried in this land of South Sudan. I will never run anyway and that why I never went for refuge since I was young. I never went to any other country. I will stay here and die with the last civilian who would die here".
Some websites and social media pages reported that President was transferred to 'Egypt', while some said that he was 'dead'. The letter watermarked with the fake Republic of South Sudan's coat of arm was shared as an alleged prove that Kiir handed over the leadership. President Kiir was not happy with what he heard, and he cursed those who wish death.
"So, you the malevolent people who said that, 'Salva is dead'. They are malevolent people, and they will die before me. If they see that death is a good thing, then they too will die. If Coronavirus is becoming another thing to brand people about, I will make orders tomorrow that no any deceased will be taken to the village anymore. "
In the official statement, President Kiir confirmed to the nation that South Sudan has 600 actives cases of COVID-19. The number of COVID-19 cases reported by other media organisations is at 655 and 8 deaths within the South Sudanese capital.
"We now have over 600 active cases of COVID-19, and if we are not careful enough, then such numbers will shoot up, and we will be in a very deplorable state as a country to contain it. Your government has been reaching out to friendly countries, though struggling with their own, to assist in any way possible with protective health equipment as we combat this pandemic."
While many people within the Coronavirus Taskforce were reported to have contracted Coronavirus, there is no report whether President Kiir was tested or have his sample taken. First Vice President Dr Riek Machar and many Government officials are in isolation after test positive of COVID-19.
