Moïse Katumbi Chapwe Awful Show with Jeune Afrique: The Trivial Truthfulness and Integrity

African wisdom is not shy in lessons, and it is not in Kashobwe where the truthfulness of its essence will be swept aside so lightly. Formerly the African sages warned that “If the crocodile buys pants, it is because he has found where to put his tail”. It was a good omen that Mr Katumbi Moïse – Chairman, as leader of his poorly supervised troops, left his dressing rooms and held the pilgrim’s staff. During this famous interview with Jeune Afrique, not long ago, Katumbi showcased his dreadful limits, absolutely not mastering political current affairs with contradictions throughout the interview with bits of sentences buoyantly. However, after more than five years as governor of Katanga, his political experience would have grown exponentially and in light of the 2018 electoral contests whereby he lent his support to Fayulu and  as a leader of Ensemble, his cohort of poorly maintained acolytes, would have been the icing on the cake from the perspective of IQ development. The putative Congolese observations that the Chairman mastered public speaking and politics were nothing to go by! He had shamelessly thought that he would juggle the right phrases and words, do his best to wield syntax and rhetoric as he pleased, and win the game like he maneuvers in football. Like the crocodile the ancestors talked about, who had put on new pants, not knowing where to put his tail, Katumbi struggled to find his way out. It is admittedly convened that Muana Bute-Kabuya, UDPS Secretary General is a political scholar; he managed to push Moise out of his shell and face the President of the Republic, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, without going through his guard dogs scattered in a poorly organized press, sustained by Katumbi dollars. He soon fell into a treacherous plot cleverly hatched by “Muana Bute” Kabuya to make Kashobwe’s man prove his shortcomings. Successful bet! An ambush carefully prepared in secret so that the world can discover the supposed saving virtues by a candidate thought to be best suited to bring DRC out of its miasma on the eve of 2023. As long as everyone is allowed to dream it is also appropriate to know that dreams shall be realistic.

Saying one thing and its opposite without foundations is not worthy of a statesman, especially for one who wants to rule the country tomorrow. At the end of the interview that the President of the Republic, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi had granted to Internationales on TV5 on September 22, 2020, he declared, as an answer to a question put to him, that he would not delve into the past in the perspective of a justice he wants as a leverage for respectability of a rule of law state that he has always advocated before assuming his high functions as President of the Republic. Katumbi made headlines in protesting against the prosecution limitations for gravediggers of the Congolese economy, and the cause of unhappiness felt by the entire DRC population; those who rejoiced in the old regime which he had belonged to. Serious facts, it is the same Katumbi who becomes a defender of DRC thieves and looters and demands clemency untoward. He would like prosecutions to end in a justice system he describes as serving personal interests and biased. The missing people from Kalev ANR will no longer have to speak through justice, the Chebeya family have no right to know the reasons for murdering their father, husband, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin or grandfather through John Numbi, as well as for Banzana; what about the death of Armand Ntungulu? Where would his mortuary remains be? Where are Rossy Tshimanga and Rose Kapangala? Rossy’s disappearance sent his parents into the afterlife. Gecoco Mulumba became bedridden because of Kalev’s tortures, including Diomi Ndongala, Frank Diongo, Muyambu and Vano Kiboko who were languishing in Makala jail without good cause or trial. What shall happen to those bloodthirsty leaders who ruled in Caligula style “Oderint tu metuant – Let them hate me, as long as they fear me”? The DRC is embarrassed by statements from such an irresponsible leader as Moïse Katumbi. For him, the prosecutions relating to Bukanga Lonzo, Credit Cards, theft of public funds, the embezzlement of funds allocated to free education, the theft and sale of Gécamines’ mining deposits, the exemptions which reduced revenue amount for national revenue-raising agencies, the embezzlement of military pay and equipment, must be struck off the roll and classified while agricultural feeder roads are in an advanced state of disrepair, or even non-existent, and mothers are fighting hard during the day to get an evening fufu “diata” to feed their offspring. Is it in the face of these inhuman creatures that justice will have to dismiss those cases Mr Chapwe? More than U$D550, 000,000.00 planned for the construction of a modular terminal at Ndjili Airport, vanished like smoke without the country knowing the money whereabouts. MIBA which was the dairy cow during the 2nd war has its operations halted for ages; it used to be the only company, the economic heart of Greater Kasai. Kabila regime turned its back on populations from these provinces on the pretext that they would always have voted for UDPS, the licenses for the functioning of the national port of Matadi served illegal personal ports, causing a huge shortfall for the survival of the Republic and the people. Matadi, the great national port, was devoid of any maritime and commercial activity as in the past because of a gargantuan regime which Moïse demands that their cases be dismissed by the justice system. They deserve the guillotine!

Katumbi Chapwe is trying hard to run from justice; he has got plenty to answer for, the Mbole mine case that belonged to Engineer Kabasele, Inventor of alcoholic liquor: Pousse-Café, which he is now owning, was misappropriated because the mine was in his province compared to the mine former owner who was a Kasai; Kabasele died of stroke caused by sufferings endured through such a forceful ownership. Moïse years as governor have yet to be visited by Jules Alingeti’s financial patrol. The burden of dismantling Gécamines deposits and illicit sales are still pending. Companies that were set up from scratch, without their own capital to invest, started owning mining quarries by raising financing on the international markets through findings from surveys and investigations carried out on the mineral reserves. At the end of each financial year, these companies had a balance sheet that was still in deficit while they remained listed on international stock exchanges. The real dividends, not subject to any tax or levies deductibility, were spoils which only Katumbi, Kabuelelu, Yuma, Yav, Gecamines CEO and Kabila shared amongst them to the great displeasure of DRC people. It is the same Katumbi Moïse who would like Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, the Head of State to build pyramids in DRC; a Republic that has been plundered since its inception. The President of the Republic has not been responsible for the failure of the state since 1960, and he does his best to restore the country image, but not in the timing that any political impostor would impose on him. In more than 5 years as governor of Katanga, the results are negatively felt among the Katanga people; no major achievement for the development of the province. Instead of sitting at the bedside of miserable people, Katumbi was a politician, a businessman, a supplier, a wholesaler and retailer. No trade escaped him; it was enough for a poor local merchant to register a financial boom by selling such and such a product for Moïse to become the major importer, lowering the selling price without taking into account the rules that govern competition according to international standards. Undoubtedly Moïse Katumbi suffers from selective amnesia when he joins Olive Lembe selective justice advocacy. It is this very justice system the former regime banished that will have to avenge UN experts, Greater Kasai population with the Kamwena Nsapu phenomenon, arbitrary arrests and assassinations. It was this Katumbi who, before leaving for exile, had informed the Congolese people that for any misfortune that should befall his offspring, he will hold Kalev liable. It was a horrifying tantrum when facing Jeune Afrique, he claims that Kabila was not bad leader at all; the guilt lies with his entourage in which Kalev was, and demands that all charges be dropped. Such rambling reasoning emanating from a political leader of Katumbi’s caliber throws a stir on his governing abilities, once propelled to lead the country. It is very likely that Katumbi would rule arbitrarily; arbitrariness always results in procrastination after procrastination.

Political popularity is never measured by the vocal hurricanes and tsunamis witnessed at football stadia and training grounds or in CAF offices in Cairo or FIFA in Zurich. The number of followers on social medias is sometimes mistakenly given as a pledge of serenity that Chapwe is worthy of being President of the Republic. Hazardous happenstance or pure coincidence, Moïse enjoys the followership by his supporters from DRC, Zambia, Italy, Greece and Israel. This is how the number of his followers would exceed those of certain politicians, including Félix Antoine Thisekedi, President of the Republic; the poor leader who only has his native Congo as country. Being paid in monkey money always, FATSHI Béton faces very hostile fronts. Yesterday, it is the same Katumbi whose return to DRC was prohibited and condemned in absentia in matters involving misappropriation, today it is Chapwe who threatens to leave the sacred union and the government in case the Tshani Bill of Law is presented during National Assembly sitting. The Republic does not have 100 parliament members from a conglomeration of political parties in the Ensemble only. Katumbi ungratefulness towards President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, showcases the dwarf intelligence on behalf of a person who was prohibited from returning to DRC by the former regime’s caciques that he is currently defending.

A fakenewser in the Katumbist meadow, whose name is purposely withheld to remove any accidental publicity, was very quickly called to order and replaced  into his environment as a liar pseudo- journalist by Transperency International. He had thought to make a scoop of his story, not knowing he would be moping. Having teamed up with the FCC, Katumbist mopap believed that its use of fccian laboratories for the posting of falsehoods, lies and slander would grant it the letters of nobility. C6, the Six Religious Denominations having ratified the appointment of Denis Kadima as CENI President, had been accused of being recipients of U$D 75,000, 00 each to support President Félix CENI’s candidate, who is wrongly accused of having tribal connections with the Head of State for being from the same linguistic space, as if the trifecta Ambongo-Ebotoko-Bokundowa would fare better. It is impossible to constitute by injustice, by perjury, by lies, a whole arsenal of slanderous inclinations to discredit a candidate authentically and democratically elected President of CENI, a Ceni which will be powerfully animated by an irreproachable person. It is not surprising that CENCO and the Protestants raised concerns 3 months later, with ostentatiously corrupting allegations; they have tried to shift the Congolese conscience into believing that candidate Denis Kadima is embroiled in attempted corruption and influence peddling.

Shamelessly but as much turpitude, this opposite camp congratulated H Hichelema on his election as President of Zambia, succeeding Lungu whom he beat in the final sprint. Katumbi and his group jumped on social media to pay him a heartfelt tribute. He added that the behaviour of the Zambian people shall be a living example for the next presidential election in DRC. Should it be recalled that the holding of the presidential election in Zambia was conducted according to the rules of law, in compliance with the legal framework’s provisions of the Republic and the electoral code. One of the key provisions of these legal instruments applicable in Zambia, stipulates that in order to be elected President of Zambia, the candidate shall be born of a Zambian father and mother or have Zambian descent. This is a prerequisite that Katumbi will never meet either in Zambia, his mother’s country, or in the DRC as soon as the Bill on sovereign positions blocking has been passed into law. Shamefully, he is convinced that the Tshiani Bill is discriminatory, but Chairman, all laws are discriminatory and impersonal. This bill does not target anyone. It is astounding that a single individual threatens DRC institutions; Katumbi threatens the parliament that he will leave upon examination of this bill, then he will finish off the current President if he allows the appointment of President of the CENI, because such a president would play a big role to make Félix win in 2023. Here Katumbi has the backing of CENCO, very much committed to his cause, together with the old regime. Ambongo defends the interests of Katumbi, Shole those of Lamuka and Utembi the FCC. Fortunately CENCO and ECC votes, which they think, are as big as the DRC, are not weighted to have a “nec plus extra” value  compared to other religious denominations, and this in accordance with the provisions of the Article 17 of the Religious Denominations Charter.

Is it a premonition or a conjuring fact when Moïse Katumbi has already pinpointed the Head of State’s record to be negative, in which case his party, Ensemble would not be held responsible? Certainly, the President of the Republic will assume the responsibility as guarantor of the country institutions, but in the management, Sir Katumbi, Ensemble, MLC and other sizeable allies are as responsible as UDPS. This will be collegial responsibility. In hearing Katumbi out, he will accept co-responsibility in the event of a positive assessment of Félix reign. Lie! Yesterday, at the start of consultations, Katumbi was greeted with fanfare when he jetted in Kinshasa, and by the end of his tête-à-tête with the President of the Republic at the Palais de la Nation, Moïse Katumbi Chapwe affirmed expresso verbis, “I came to meet my Brother”. Is it this same brother whom Moïse orders to no longer promote justice and uplift the Congolese nation, without realizing that courts and tribunals become the authorized mouth of the voiceless, because ‘they are no longer of this world. Under President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi leadership, there will be no question of back-pedaling justice, it has gained momentum for Franck Ngyke of La Référence newspaper, and his wife Hélène Mpaka, murdered at their home in Kinshasa in 2005, to finally express themselves through judges and  lawyers, as well as Bapuwa Mwamba, freelance journalist murdered in Kinshasa in 2006 and political activist Luc Nkulula burned alive after he was caulked in his house in 2018 in Goma. Circumstantial fraternity evaporates in the light of disproportionate ambitions through the juxtaposition of jealousy for lack of coherent political discourse. As in private sector where company directors are responsible for co-management and for the assets and liabilities, it will be so in 2023. Again, the lack of political culture is cowardice in the exercise of power. Building a church for CENCO does not clear anyone of misdeeds, even worse, of his responsibilities in relation to the management of the province during the time of Katanga when Moïse was its governor.

Félix Tshisekedi Tshilombo enjoys undoubted popularity both domestically and internationally. President of the African Union, he is already earmarked to be the Chairman of SADC in 2022, his open diplomacy is paying off, and DRC is rubbing shoulders with strong nations. Lobbying in the US by Katumbi to approach the US administration led by Joe Biden, in support of his candidacy in 2023 election which suffered a bitter failure, and millions of dollars  lost; knowing that Félix Antoine has tangible proofs, that he has a speech to hold on to so that the people may trust him once again in 2023, Katumbi, FCC, Lamuka and CENCO think of blocking the process of the appointment of Naanga’s successor at CENI, boycott the participation of their delegates and representatives in the CENI with the aim of creating a blockage which would result in a slide towards the non-holding of elections in 2023; prelude to the dialogue, the conclusions of which will revolve around the sharing of power. It is obvious; however, that many of these politicians only seek political positioning for profit. Leader of a political party, Olivier Kamitatu diluted his party in Ensemble to become Moïse Katumbi’s caretaker, Lutundula’s party too, he was appointed in the current government and serves as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Félix Tshisekedi is far from being tantalum, the goal of profit not being rationality for this President of the Republic whose altruism extravagance remains one of the main characteristics of his personality. Félix Tshisekedi is the President who has never been involved in the management of any imperium of power in DRC compared to those who swear by his blood. The interaction with Jeune Afrique was an opportunity to observe the self-flagellation of Moïse Katumbi during the interview; he had the latitude to shoot himself in the foot by criticizing the management of the country in which he plays a preponderant role. He refuses, through Ensemble, to participate in the composition of the CENI, and through the irony of hateful jealousy, he calls for the 2023 elections with all his heart. Moïse gets lost in thinking he is deciding whether or not to draft and consider a bill, in this case the Locking of Key Positions Act. Mr Katumbi will have to come back to the principle of the impersonality of the laws. The eligibility criteria as requirement to be met for any appointment are all elements that reinforce the positive discriminatory aspect of any law.

Finally, CENCO’s call to meet with the President of the Republic is a manifestation of the lucrative pursuit of Catholic prelate interests. At the invitation to enhance with their presence the inauguration ceremony of President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi as President of the Republic, Shole did not procrastinate by going in full swing with a negative scathing response that the invitation is not a summons. At the second invitation by the Presidential Office for the swearing in of the   Constitutional Court judges, Shole, CENCO Secretary, did not alter his position a notch, the similarity of his answer as for the first invitation hardly shocked. The lack of common sense and the absence of a certain humility on behalf of this prelate made them swim against the tide. Why would the President of the Republic be inclined to meet up with CENCO in view of the foregoing? Two feedbacks are reserved for a request, either YES or NO! By saying NO, the President of the Republic will have responded to their leitmotif. His Excellency Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, President of the Republic would violate the legal provisions if he intervenes upstream of the  National Assembly findings in the context of the appointment of the  CENI members; as in the case of Malonda, his reading of the situation as well as his decision are made downstream. What CENCO is seeking in terms of intervention by the President at this stage, especially since this exercise is largely outside the scope of its prerogatives, is not feasible.  From there, it a factual evidence that these 3Ks: Katumbi, Kamerhe and Kabila will team up once more to wage war on Felix. So Kabund and Muana Bute are forewarned.