The city of Tshikapa, in the province of Kasaï, has just banned the peaceful march of the citizens’ movement Lutte pour lechange (LUCHA), which was intended to protest against the increase in the prices of Regideso. This demonstration took place in response to the increase in the cost of connection to Regideso, from 220 to 320 USD. LUCHA maintained its demonstration despite the ban, but the city’s deputy mayor said that the street was not the only way for the population to assert their rights and invited the demonstrators to come to the City Hall for details on this subject.
This is a situation that greatly worries the population, because of the political and social issues that affect it. Households in the city are faced with a rise in prices which has a direct impact on their purchasing power, already weakened by a difficult economic situation. The authorities should therefore propose concrete solutions to alleviate the burden of these populations.
It should be noted that this situation is symptomatic of the economic crisis that has been going through the DRC for several years now, and which is undermining the ability of populations to meet their most basic needs. It is imperative that the authorities act responsibly and effectively to bring the country out of this impasse.