The lecture to be given by the former Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Augustin Matata Ponyo Mampon, was banned in Kenge, where he was to meet students this Friday, May 26, 2023.
The organizers of the conference discovered that day that the room of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Procure des missions, planned for the event, had been closed and that police officers were watching the place. According to a member of the organizing committee, the doors had been closed by order of the governor of Kwango province, Jean-Marie Petit Petit Tamata.
However, opinions differ on the spot. Some feel that Matata Ponyo should not be allowed to travel to Kenge as a political opponent, given that he did not even know Kwango Province existed when he was still in office as Prime Minister. They also accuse him of not having been sufficiently involved in the Bukangalonzo agro-industrial park project, which the population of Kwanga had supported, but which had not been completed during his term of office.
On the other side, some argue that Matata Ponyo is free to move around the country as a Congolese citizen, and that his guilt in the hijacking of the Bukangalonzo agro-industrial park has not been proven in court.
It is unfortunate that the conference could not take place, as it would have been an opportunity for Kenge students to hear the thoughts and ideas of this former head of government. Nevertheless, this complication shows how the political situation in the DRC is still tense and complex, and that the authorities continue to restrict the freedom of speech of certain citizens.