Congolese takes on Jacob Zuma through Change.org

By Gael Masengi

A Congolese activist residing in Paris, France has turned to an online campaign tool to pressure the South African government, in particular demanding president Zuma to release 20 Congolese (DRC) refugees apparently detained illegally in South Africa since early February this year.

Change.org logo

Ezechias Baudoin had initiated a petition entitled “To President Jacob Zuma: Release of 20 Congolese Patriots (arrested in South Africa)” on an American for profit website, Change.org pleading everyone to sign on a bid to demand a possible release of twenty Congolese arrested nearly five months now. A South African prosecutor in charge of the case accuses the men of plotting to overthrow the controversial regime of Joseph Kabila and physically eliminate him and his aides. Nineteen suspects were initially arrested by a special division of the South African police in the early hours of February the 6^th 2013 while en route to the northern province of Limpopo where the prosecutor alleged that a “training camp” was set-up by a team of undercover police officers who pretended to be retired members of S.A elite commando-turn mercenaries. Belonging to an unheard organization called the “Union of Nationalists for Renewal”, the men allegedly sent a “wish list” asking for machine guns, radio, grenades and even surface-to-air missiles and arranged for a training camp, prosecutor Shaun Abrahams told magistrate judge at previous court hearing. Accused to be the “ring leader”, Etienne Taratibu Kabila eldest son of assassinated President Laurent D. Kabila eventually turned himself in at a Bellevue police station, Cape Town. Meanwhile, the 20 suspects continue to rot in jail with no fixed date of further bail hearing.

Since then South African police have been engaged on what members of Congolese community call “witch hunt”, a systematic arrests of anti-Kabila activist living in exile in South Africa and they are often tried in absence of refugee organizations.

In the past the website has helped to draw the media as well as the people’s attention across the world on issues of social change and human rights, notably in the shooting of 17-year-old African-American, Trayvon Martin by a neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in the United States. A petition entitled "Prosecute the killer of our son” posted on Change.org related to the brutal murder of Martin, received over 2.2 million signatures, the website along other social media was credited for playing a pivotal role in spreading awareness about the killing.

Several analysts of the great lake region have for long described the close relationship between Joseph Kabila and Jacob Zuma as “unconventional” citing oil and mining interests “in return of protection”.  Joseph Kabila who came in power in 2001 shortly after the assassination of his “father”, is also seen by many as a copy-cat dictator who has ruled for the mineral enriched Democratic Republic of Congo with an iron fist for the last twelve years.  

The petition (written in French language) has yet to reach hundred signatures for a possible submission to the South African president and his government is slowly drawing attention of human rights activists and of many other prominent free speech advocates across all platforms. You too can contribute make a change and keep democracy alive by singing the petition. www.change.org

Never seen before footage shed light on Kabila’s dictatorship!

By Gael Masengi

An exclusive video uploaded on YouTube this past week by “Voice of Congo” news website, reveals the brutality and dictatorship power of Joseph Kabila and his administration. The 20 plus minutes private footage shot inside an airplane is set to show a truly shocked populist Congolese opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi reacting on the news of their landing authorization denial onto Kinshasa’s main and only operational Nd’jili airport.

Frustrated, E. Tshisekedi speaking to a pilot

Shot back in 2011 by one of Etienne Tshisekedi’s aides, the never-seen- before video recording details the tension, frustration and anxiety that grew inside the aircraft on the afternoon of November 26 2011 when the opposition leader and his cabinet members learned the news of landing denial from the “airport authorities” of the DR. Congo. Coming back from a province where he was campaigning for the presidential elections, Etienne Tshisekedi together with his wife and partners were preparing for a last public meeting before elections and a triumphant welcome-back rally 500 meters down on the ground where a crowd of his countless sympathizers were waiting impatiently for him, unexpectedly a team of South African piloting the airplane informed the passengers that the control tower had requested the jet carrying Mr Tshisekedi to divert away and “land somewhere else” as it would not be allowed to land in Ndjili airport tarmac, failure to do so, there will be “real consequences”. Confused by “authorities” decision, a worrying airliner pilot is shown on the video constantly looking at fuel indicator and worrying to what to do next. Unlike many other countries, the mineral resource enriched DR. Congo has outdated infrastructures, unpaved roads, of course a dictatorial regime and one functioning airport where every international and domestic flight arrives to and departs from.

E. Tshisekedi looking anxiously at the plane window

Frustrated yet furious, Tshisekedi on the video is shown addressing his secretary, advising him to leave alone the pilot decide on the place on their landing. “Leave him...!” He said angrily “if he is forced to land in Brazzaville [Republic of Congo], let him do so… we have to land somewhere” continued a fuming Tshisekedi.  After a heated debate, several unsuccessful attempts to contact the airport authorities of Brazaville and minutes of flying back and forth above the capital Kinshasa skies, the airliner is shown making an emergency landing onto an abandoned military airfield of Ndolo, 17 kilometers away from the initial landing field.

“After touring the country… my last stop before Kinshasa was Matadi” he said to media “…before departing from there, the airport management told me ‘the Congolese airspace is closed’, I wonder who closed it and what for. Despite their decision we manage to take-off anyway, arrive here [Kinshasa] as always the pilots took Nd’jili direction but somehow we were redirected here” he concluded “I will send the Rwandan [Joseph Kabila] back where he belongs”   

Eager to meet his partisans, Tshisekedi ordered his driver 10 miles back to the main airport where convoys of security force brutally dispersed with teargas and bullets a strong crowd of his sympathizers. More than 30 people were shot and killed that day and many more were seriously injured. Forbade to leave the airport, the 80 years-old opposition veteran, Etienne Tshisekedi was escorted later that night by a contingent of security forces and sequestrated under house arrest.

DRC alleged Coup plot: Bail denied!

By Gael Masengi        

20 Congolese alleged coup-plotters arrested back in early February of this year will remain in South African jail said a judge this past Friday afternoon at Pretoria’s Magistrate Court.

accused suspects

Emotions ran high inside the court room as Magistrate Solomon Mkubela delivered his ruling against the defendants, he argued that the counsel for the accused could not prove his clients are not a “flight risk” let alone they wouldn’t be a threat to the lives of Congolese political authorities, include Joseph Kabila, if granted bail. The magistrate again said, the suspects could easily leave South Africa with help from Congolese community, and also noted that none of the accused has a permanent residence in South Africa, something which he believed can make their escape from the country possible, therefore he ordered the “suspects” to remain in custody until the beginning of their trial on May 23^rd.    

The men are accused of plotting to overthrow the controversial regime of Joseph Kabila and physically eliminate him and his aides, 19 suspects were arrested by a special division of the South African police in the early hours of February the 6^th while en route to the northern province of Limpopo where the prosecutor alleged that a “training camp” was set-up by a team of undercover police officers who pretended to be retired members of S.A elite commando-turn mercenaries. Belonging to an unheard organization called the “Union of Nationalists for Renewal”, the men allegedly sent a “wish list” asking for machine guns, radio, grenades and even surface-to-air missiles and arranged for a training camp, prosecutor Shaun Abrahams told magistrate judge at previous court hearing. Accused to be the “ring leader”, an astonished Etienne Taratibu Kabila, eldest son of assassinated President Laurent D. Kabila eventually turned himself-in at Bellevue police station, Cape Town.

Saddened by the outcome of bail hearing, spouses of the “suspects” broke in tears as they were making their way out of the court with a remarkable dissatisfied crowd of supporters who are convinced that it’s a ‘clear political decision’ not a legal one. They unanimously accuse President Jacob Zuma –closest ally of Joseph Kabila – of “deeply” interfering on the judge’s decision, alleging that the Zuma administration will do anything to secure its interests in the DR. Congo by satisfying a class of Congolese political elites and overlooking the will of people, a thought many analysts of the Great Lake region seem to favor.  

“This is a political decision, period!” said a fuming James Kamanda “We’ve seen Oscar Pistorious shot and killed his girlfriend and he got bail, why does it have to be different with the people who didn’t commit the act of killing neither attempt?”

The magistrate has however insisted that his decision was not finale; the accused can launch an appeal if they wish in a higher court while waiting for the trial date.