MPs get last minute chance to view body of late Salva Mathok
Members of the national legislative assembly on Tuesday paid their last respect to their fallen colleague General Salva Mathok Gengdit who passed on last week in Thailand.
His casket was laid-in-parliament for public viewing by MPs, civil servants and friends to bid him last farewell.
The remains of the late Mathok arrived in Juba on Monday from Thailand where he died while receiving treatment.
Jemma Nunu Kumba, Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly while addressing mourners described the death of Salva Mathok as a great loss to parliament.
“For me as a Speaker I have lost one of my active and open-minded members of parliament who has contributed a lot to the laws that we have enacted since 2011,” Kumba said.
Robert Anei Salva Mathok, the elder son of the late said that his father had urged his colleagues to fight for the good course of the country during his last breath while in hospital.
“Tell my colleagues in the parliament that I want you to fight hard for the good course of the country and fight for the will of the people of South Sudan,” Anei said.
Gen. David Yau Yau, a close friend to the family of Mathok encouraged South Sudanese to take care of freedom fighters.
“In South Sudan we only meet at a time of death, if somebody dies that is when we meet and know ourselves,” Yau Yau said.
Mathok’s body was transferred to the mortuary and it is expected to be flown to his hometown of Adiercien in Warrap State’s Gogrial East County for burial on Wednesday.
Gen. Salva Mathok Gengdit was born on 1st June 1948 in Adiercieen village, Gogrial East County of Warrap State.
In 1972, Mathok joined the Anyanya war and in 1986 he joined SPLA.
From 1980-1986, he was an instructor at Sudan Armed Forces Military School and College.
He served as commander of SPLA in Bilpam headquarters from 1987-1989.
Mathok served as commander of Infantry Division sectors in SPLA from 1989-1998.
From 1999-2000, he served as Chief of Staff of SPLA Third Front.
He served as Deputy Chief of Staff of SPLA for administration and Finance from 2005-2011.
From 2011-2013, he served as security advisor to President Salva Kiir Mayardit.
He also worked as Deputy Minister of Interior from 2011-2013.
Mathok was a member of parliament from 2011 until his death.
