Title: Sit-in of municipal councilors in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Kinshasa
For more than four days, a group of municipal councilors from various provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been holding a sit-in in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Kinshasa. Their determination is palpable and their demand is clear: to be supported in a similar way to MPs, thus benefiting from the same advantages and considerations from the government.
Leading this mobilization is Alexandra Tshiama Mamba, elected representative of Lukonga, Kananga, and spokesperson for the Kasaï-Central delegation. Her speech reveals the frustration of these local elected officials faced with a lack of recognition of their function and their needs. They are demanding not only adequate support but also better organization of the elections of mayors, in order to guarantee a more efficient and transparent working environment.
The comparison with other political bodies is striking here: elected at the same time as the President of the Republic and the national and provincial deputies, these councilors see their status and working conditions largely neglected by the authorities. This situation generates legitimate frustration among these local representatives, who recall their decision-making role without benefiting from the necessary means to implement their actions.
Their determination to remain in front of the Prime Minister’s Office until obtaining clear and concrete answers demonstrates their desire not to be neglected and to assert their legitimacy. Through this symbolic gesture, they highlight the inequalities and dysfunctions within the Congolese political apparatus, calling for fair recognition of their role and needs as key players in communal life.
This sit-in by communal councilors in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Kinshasa is much more than a simple demonstration: it is the cry of a political base that is often forgotten, but whose importance is crucial for the proper functioning of local democracy. Let us hope that this mobilization attracts the attention of the authorities and opens the way to concrete and lasting solutions to respond to the legitimate demands of these committed local elected officials.