SACIM, Anhui/Congo Mining Investment Company, continues to make headlines in Congolese sociopolitical news. Independent analysts have looked into the underside of this affair and have highlighted the role of the patriotism of the current President of the Republic, Félix Tshisekedi, in undermining the crooked and selfish Congolese who have plunged the country into misery.
Ngoyi Kasanji, alias “Tonton Ngokas”, the former governor of Kasaï-Oriental under Joseph Kabila, is singled out for letting Congo lose all its due in the Sino-Congolese partnership called SACIM. He was one of the main supporters of the old regime and defender of the interests of the Kabila family in Mbuji-Mayi.
It was expected that China and the DRC would equally share the profits of this venture up to 50% for each party. However, before Felix Tshisekedi came to power, the production was sold outside the country and the share that was supposed to go to the DRC only benefited a “Monster” whose ambition was to keep the Congolese in a black forest of misery.
To remedy this injustice, the new government has created Tenders which allow any buyer able to make a deal to do so freely. This decision provoked the ire of Ngoyi Kasanji, who saw Congolese of all origins investing there.
Is the latter simply claiming his share of the cake or is he campaigning for his own interests from a diamond trafficker? Many people remember the bloody repressions against the anti-Kabila demonstrators that he inflicted on the Kasai population.
In sum, while SACIM has led to an upward curve in revenues collected by the public treasury, its history reveals a dark part of Congo’s mining policy where personal interests have long prevailed.