Hot in Juba (www.hotinjuba.com) is a South Sudanese entertainment online news magazine. The primary goals of the website were to promote the emerging South Sudan show business (showbiz) by publishing celebrity gossips as it is practically done in the world.
The website also publishes latest music released by South Sudanese musicians and other social and entertainment news to promote the industry. HIJ is loved by most notable Junubin musicians who have been supportive since launch in 2015.
We source celebrity news mostly on Facebook but must make a phone call to make confirm or investigate further.
The idea of hot in Juba website was inspired by Talk of Juba with which was run by my (online) brother Mariak Bol who I approached to sell my idea of Hot in Juba and if we could possibly work together. Mariak turned down my idea and so me and my friend Dexfont went ahead and teamed up with a US based South Sudanese web designer and launched our website in March 2015. My contract with an international NGO in Juba had just ended so I and Dexfont together with the web designer that I can’t name now devoted much of our time to HIJ. The website soon went viral after publishing news about first South Sudanese open gay.
Soon after a number of people started linking Mariak of Talk of Juba to HIJ apparently because of ‘Juba’ in the name of both institutions. Mariak was concerned and sent us a message to complain. We were compelled to put out a statement to clarify that were not in any way associated to Mariak or his Talk of Juba Media house.
Other Junubin social media personalities who were also accused included Juba based Journalist Sly Angelo, Video Director Max Ngong, Comedian Martino Koryom among others.
HIJ continued to become popular among South Sudanese youths and social media users for publishing most daring and controversial news. Then later in the year, we were joined by Mr. Pakalast, Ahmed Lotole, Jena Pasa, Big Ghost, King Kwah, Piu Tuc and Achan Tony. All HIJ writers have access and use John Masura Facebook account for interviews and other work related informations.
In June 2015 we expanded our coverage to politics and investigative journalism. We published corruption exposes including that of former model Aheu Deng which Jamila Adaw and a defense ministry’s official were our primary sources.
Adaw tipped us on corruption scandal at the ministry where Aheu and her uncle were allegedly involved. We investigated and published the story. These story had a major backlash on us and particularly myself as the author. Aheu who refused to give us her side of the story during the writing of the story mobilised her social media supporters and her Bor community members on social media against me.
Jamila Adaw tipped us on several other stories including that of Mary Boyoi ‘banging’ an army General. A story that was done by Hot in Juba’s Ahmed Lotole.
She also revealed to us that former model Rachel Angeth had a kid she has kept in the dark for years. Btw I have just learned two days ago that Adaw also had a ten year old boy that she is never proud of.
Now, this social media drama started this week. A Facebook page Juba Media Take Out and someone called Deng Abu Shamarat made defaming posts about Adaw. Seeing these posts Adaw started accusing me of being behind those pages making wild posts about her. In the inbox I tried to explain to Adaw that I’m not behind those pages but she couldn’t believe me.
Today Adaw went on to claim that I’m Mariak Bol Majok Adiang the founder of Talk of Juba is actually John Masura after reading Bor Globes Expose which that was published this week linking bloggers Panluel Wel and Mariak Bol to HIJ.
She posted screenshots which purportedly show that I’m Mariak Bol but clearly in the screenshots nothing to prove if you look at the images.
By John Masura
