By
Gael Masengi
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| Stand-off between Activists and S.A cops (Photo, GoM) |
On Tuesday [October 23th] the South African
capital, Pretoria’s diplomatic district was transformed into a scene of clash, shout,
screams and “anti-Kabila” chants as Congolese activists stormed the hotel where
the meeting between Jacob Zuma and Joseph Kabila was taking place.
Attending the 8th Session of the
South Africa-Democratic Republic of Congo Bi-National Commission (BNC) in
Pretoria, the ‘Congolese president’ Joseph Kabila had encountered a strongest
protest yet from the members of the Congolese community and dissidents residing
in Johannesburg and surroundings. By midday the main street leading to the
Sefako Makgatho Guest House [formerly,
the presidential guest house] in a discreet suburb of Pretoria was filled by
angry protesters who came to “question” the head of state for allegations of
his implication with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebellion and confront him for the
latest shocking revelation implicating him directly to the murder of a leading
human rights activist, Floribert Chebeya of Voice of the Voiceless (VSV, its French initials)and his driver Fidรจle Banzana.
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| murdered activist, Armand Tungulu |
The scene quickly turned into a brief scuffle
between the cops and activists when the South African police requested the protesters
to back-off as they were blocking the road, before you know it things started
to get a little out of hand. Armed with placards, sings and posters bearing the
images of rapped and slaughtered women in the eastern DRC, the activists were
nowhere to compromise with law enforcers, arguing that Kabila might get away
should they leave the place but outnumbered by the men-in-blue who started to
flock-in, “anti-Kabila” campaigners eventually were driven out of the street
but not before attacking the Congolese embassy, which is located about 100
meters in the surroundings and get exposure they needed from significant
number of media, that includes the South African Broadcasting Corporation
television.
“Kabila
hosted officially by Zuma?!” exclaimed an activist
who asked not to be named, “it’s disappointing
if a country like South Africa where at least democracy and human rights exist
opting to deal with that man” he said, referring to Kabila’s record on
human rights as not being satisfying and very well known by everyone, “We should be given a chance to lead our
country ourselves, not by people chosen for us by the international community”
said Jean Didier, another activist “to me
it seems as a curse, my country [DRC] being blessed with all the mineral
resources” he pointed out that there are things that make
Kabila an illegitimate president, namely, last year’s elections results were
called by international observers as flawed and not credible.
On the other hand the South African
President, Jacob Zuma opened the meeting with congratulations to his Congolese
counterpart for hosting a “successful” Francophonie summit, “Your historic hosting of this important
summit is a demonstration of trust and confidence in you and your country.” Said
Zuma “It is just over a year since our
last meeting in Lubumbashi where we took important decisions. One of those
decisions was South Africa’s commitment to support the government of the DRC to
organise the November 2011 elections. We are happy that those elections were
successfully conducted in a peaceful environment…” really? “Successful
environment?” clearly Mr Zuma is either ill-informed or lying.
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