** Justice, a tragic spectacle at the service of power: reflection on the trial of Matata Ponyo **
March 3, 2025 marked an additional step in the recursive use of the judicial system as a tool for political repression in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The trial of former Prime Minister Matata Ponyo Mapon, summoned by the Constitutional Court, is not only a matter of law. He especially illustrates a more disturbing phenomenon: the drift of a judicial system which has become the puppet of a power in place which only to ensure his sustainability engages in maneuvers of intimidation.
### A repetitive diagram
The political history of the DRC is punctuated by examples where the government has been able to instrumentalize justice to stigmatize, discredit or eliminate political adversaries. The current period, marked by multiple crises, echoes past events where power, losing legitimacy, has used built trials on fluctuating accusations to contain opposition. From Mobutu Sese Seko to Joseph Kabila, each head of state has used what one could call a strategy of selective repression.
However, we are today at a turning point. Global dynamics are no longer those of the past. International attention and human rights commitments could complicate the task of a regime which, by its own choices, seems to disinvest governance questions to focus on the control of the judicial system. The contrast then becomes obvious: while they face an insurrection in the East, the real challenges are carefully put aside.
### Double morality of the judicial system
A careful analysis of judicial actions in the Democratic Republic of Congo reveals an alarming disconnection between the cases treated and the real needs of justice of the population. Prosecution is often targeted; The selectivity of the files reveals a discernment which is more like political revenge than a real desire to do justice.
Take, for example, the recurring accusations of damage to the legislation on mining taxation. While Matata Ponyo is dragged to court for embezzlement whose integrity is to be questioned, other figures close to power escape any form of sanction, despite resounding revelations concerning embezzlement of public funds. This blatant iniquity – and the preference granted to surveys or prosecution that evacuates the gaze on political allies – we confront a worrying reality.
### Justice as a manipulation tool
The Matata Ponyo trial, which could have been treated with impartiality and diligence, has become a spectacle where justice is transformed into a double -edged sword, amplifying tensions and, at the same time, disengaging public opinion from crucial questions on the ground. Politicians know that by diverting attention to legal issues, they are able to channel popular emotions towards a specific target, placing the figure of the opponent as a scapegoat.
The judicial operation then becomes a tragic entertainment, where each audience is filmed, commented, and analyzed as a boxing match. The problem here is that political struggle is reduced to a simple test aimed at destroying careers, altering lives, while creating an erroneous perception of action in favor of justice.
### Towards a collective reflection
It is essential at this stage to offer a reflection placed in a broader context. The media and analysts must question the opportunity to erect a new generation of enlightened leaders, capable not only to address and resolve crises, but also to reconstruct a legitimate judicial system. Punctual proceedings against opponents, without a legal framework respected by all, only serve to obscure the real issues that the country faces.
Teaching justice as a concept anchored in participatory governance rather than a tool for political manipulation could transform discourse and citizen engagement. The need for judicial reform, which once and for all dissociates the apparatus from the state from political and personal issues, becomes an essential priority.
### Conclusion: a sound alert
Matata Ponyo’s trial should not simply be perceived as the personal drama of a man injured by the system. It is a sound alert for the Congolese and the international community on the fragility of a state where justice is systematically misguided. The fight against corruption, the defense of national sovereignty and especially the quest for a real democracy must be placed at the heart of the debate, far from the judicial impostures which in no way honor the country.
It is in the light of these reflections that the Congolese people are called upon to demand the revision of the judicial system, to claim a real rule of law, and to claim fundamental rights which seem so often ignored. The real challenge is based not only on the fall in repression, but on the creation of an environment in which justice can really prevail, thus allowing everyone to live and flourish without fear of reprisals.