Dr Doma: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 12 August 2025:
In any true democracy, civil society is meant to be the voice of the people and the watchdog that keeps government on its toes. But in Sierra Leone, that watchdog seems to have turned into something else entirely.
Sierra Leone’s civil society was supposed to check power, but many of its members now look more like cheerleaders for whichever party happens to be in power.
Take Moses Mambu for example. Once known for loudly criticizing the APC government, he became a constant voice in the media, releasing hunger surveys and raising alarms about bad governance. But when the SLPP came into power, something changed.
That same Moses Mambu, once viewed as a bold activist, has thrown his hat into SLPP politics, contested for the position of Publicity Secretary and won.
Today, he is no longer a behind-the-scenes player. He is the official Publicity Secretary of the ruling SLPP government.
He didn’t just switch roles but confirmed what many have suspected all along: that some of these so-called activists are actually politicians in disguise.
This isn’t just about Mambu. It’s about a pattern in Sierra Leone’s society.
During APC’s reign, certain civil society groups were very active, vocal and critical. They organized press conferences, issued statements and took to the streets.
Now, those same voices have either gone silent or turned into full-time defenders of the SLPP government. Their activism hasn’t disappeared; it has simply changed colours.
Today, it feels like the only people still loudly calling out the government are the civil society faces once aligned with APC.
This pattern raises real questions.
Can someone truly be neutral and still openly declare for a political party? Can an activist claim independence while wearing party colours and holding a high position in government?
Civil society should be free from party loyalty but in Sierra Leone, it seems more like a waiting room for people hoping to enter politics.
Even worse, some of these civil society organizations appear out of nowhere, make bold statements and vanish just as quickly. Others get accused of defending companies or officials with questionable motives.
Some aren’t even properly registered, yet they show up on big issues and disappear when the political winds change.
The situation is becoming clearer by the day: what we thought was civil society might just be a quiet extension of political parties APC today, SLPP tomorrow.
If you scream against one party and clap for the other, you’re not neutral you’re a hidden politician. And if that’s what civil society has become. They are no longer a watchdog.
They are an “evil society” wearing the mask of activism.
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