No comment: MP Lindiwe Mazibuko spears Zuma in Parliament

"The president's attention has been diverted from his duties.Energy spent on organizing a march to an art gallery and a legalchallenge to a work of satire has distracted from the serious work ofgovernment. Representatives of the ANC and some of its ministers areattempting to close down the space for freedom of expression throughbullying and intimidation."--MP Lindiwe Mazibuko, 32Opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party Caucus LeaderTo Jacob Zuma,...

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Doozy Wednesday in National Assembly: Opposition boycotts closed-session interpellation of Defense and Interior Ministers over alleged secret accords with Rwanda

Wednesdays are usually devoted to current affairs issues in theNational Assembly.Ordinarily, those Wedneday sessions are dull affairs where one MPafter another would take to the floor to deliver long-windedmonologues--no doubt to impress, surely not other fellow MPs who thentake that opportunity to talk on their mobile phones or flick throughtheir newspapers; but most certainly viewers of RTNC-3, theparliamentary TV channel that carries live sessions of both houses ofParliament.But this Wednesday, May 30, was different, as for the first time twoimportant...

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KEITH HARMON SNOW's name is being used by a Filipino scammer in "Friend Stranded in Foreign Country Scam Emails"

Keith Harmon Snow, a prolific American "Africanist" blogger, is thelatest victim of "Friend Stranded in Foreign Country Scam Emails"originating in the Philippines.(Are Nigerian con artists now operating from the Philippines?)I don't know whether this scammer got into one of Snow's emailaccounts (by phisting) or just stumbled upon his name, which is abouteverywhere on the Internet on matters relating to Africa--andparticularly the African Great Lakes Region and East africa.I think this scammer might have gotten into Snow's account, for howwould...

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Radio-Trottoir proved true by leaked new classified UN Report: Rwanda's saber rattling in eastern DRC by proxy of warlord Ntaganda

The Congolese grapevine of Radio-Trottoir is once again proved true.Radio-Trottoir had it, since the newround of violence broke out in North-Kivu in early May, that Rwandawas behind Jean-Bosco Ntaganda and his militia.According to Radio-Trottoir, the Rwandan regime, which once thrived onthe windfall of its bloody experiment in military entrepreneurship onCongo resources, will forever be a clear and present danger to theDRC.Rwanda is being helped in this enterprise, still according toRadio-Trottoir, by the inane and incoherent security policy of...

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No Comment: Jacob Lenin Zuma's Penis victimized by Brett Murray, the Goodman Gallery, Zapiro, City Press, and all White South Africans

Brett MurrayThe Spear, 2011Acrylic on canvas185 x 140cm(Credits)"The portrait depicts me in a manner that suggests I am a philanderer, a womaniser and one with no respect. It is an undignified depiction of my personality and seeks to create doubt about my personality in the eyes of fellow citizens, family, and children." --Jacob Lenin Zuma (credi...

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Manichean Yarn: Cabinet submits declarations of assets as National Assembly nips in the bud proposed committee to investigate holdings of former ministers

On Wednesday, May 23, a Manichean yarn unfolded in two institutions inKinshasa: the Supreme Court of Justice and the National Assembly.With much fanfare, Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo and his fullcabinet went to the Supreme Court of Justice (CSJ in acronym)--stillstanding for the yet to be set up Constitutional Court whosejuridiction is over such matters--to submit sealed envelopescontaining details of their assets and holdings.This, in compliance with Article 99 of the Constitution of the DRC,which stipulates that the Head of State and...

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Radio-Trottoir Feed: Government mocks Residents of the Republic

I'd be exaggerating if I said that the mood is insurrectionary in Kinshasa.(Though on Monday there were motorized patrols by heavily armed"robots," as riot cops are dubbed here, after incidents in whichposses of the Drivers' Association of the Congo beat up those of theirmembers who scabbed, burning their vehicles. And last night, I saw twoUN police trucks on patrol.)There's definitely no mass movement of outrage able to coalesce intosomething akin to the worlwide urban uprisings of Indignados or OccupyWallStreet and the likes.But make no mistake....

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National Assembly: Consensus reached but tainted by female MPs' near insurgency

Cool heads finally prevailed in the National Assembly.A consensus between the opposition and the majority MPs on the issueof the 2 supercommittes (PAJ and ECOFIN) was finally reached shortlybefore the opening of the plenary session of Monday, May 21.The vote on the contentious issue, with the opposition threatening towithdraw its participating from the parliamentary committees at theplenary session of Saturday, was averted at the last minute.The formula worked out between the leaders of parliamentary caucuseswas the following: while pro-Kabila...

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Public transport operators on strike: Kinshasa pedestrians without Spirits-of-Death

Millions of Kinois pedestrians had to walk today, the start of thestrike of public transport operators.(I had to walk close to 5 miles from my house to Place Victoire thismorning. By the time I go back home, if there are still no taxis, Iwould have walked 10 miles today.)The striking transporters are complaining about the "tracasseries"(hassles) they are subjected to.Typical daily tracasseries involve:1) Paying 500 Congolese Francs (about 50 cents) to each one of thehighway cops encountered at jammed intersections on the bus route;2) Paying fines...

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National Assembly: Opposition boycott looms over Monday vote on control of supercommittees

The scrum between opposition and pro-Kabila MPs over the control oftwo key committees (dubbed "permanent commissions") continued at theplenary session of Saturday, May 19.The two supercommittes being disputed are: the PAJ (Political,Administrative, and Judiciary Committee) and the ECOFIN (the Economicand Financial Committee).Opposition MPs, hell-bent on controlling those two supercommittees--orbarring one of them, the chairmanship of the strategic Committee onDefense and Security--couldn't budge MPs of the majority, dead setagainst what they see...

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DRC GOV spokesman Lambert Mende: Full brunt of law for media outlets giving platform to terrorists Jean-Bosco Ntaganda and associates

In a news conference he held Friday, May 18, Media Minister andGovernment Spokesman Lambert Mende came out swinging against mediaoutlets who'd be tempted to give a platform to "terrorists" Jean-BoscoNtaganda and his associates roaming the hills and the naturalpreserves of the Kivus.He warned that journos who'd dare to call and give interviews to"those who kill Congolese, rape, and eviscerate pregnant women" willfeel the full brunt of the law of the land.He bristled at the description by journalists of Ntaganda and hisfollowers as "insurgents" and...

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Cuban VP Esteban Lazo Hernandez on a 4-day visit in Kinshasa

 Cuban VP Esteban Lazo Hernandez(credits)Cuban Vice-president Esteban Lazo Hernandez arrived in Kinshasa in the evening of Thursday, May 17, on 4-day visit in the Congolese capital.Not coincidentally, Hernandez's arrival occurred on the 15th anniversary of the fall of Kinshasa to Mzee Laurent Kabila's forces and their Rwandan and Ugandan allies.Hernandez and Joseph Kabila held talks in the morning of Friday to discuss bilateral "commercial relations"...

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1) Gridlock in National Assembly; and 2) Out-of-control Secretary General MARIE-JEANNE ALULA, at the Ministry of Higher Education

1) Gridlock in National AssemblyGridlock has been marring the National Assembly of late.The contention is over the sharing of the chairmanships of the 7permanent commissions and over the political make-up of the 35 membersof those commissions.The opposition was offered 10 seats in those commissions, whereas themajority planned on keeping for themselves the lion's sharea: 25seats. The opposition rejected that offer and wants at the very least12 seats.Furthermore, opposition MPs also want to have the chairmanship of twokey commissions: 1) the Political,...

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National Assembly confirms government composition and action plan; and interlocutory motion by MP Jaynet Kabila passes

As could be anticipated, the National Assembly confirmed thegovernment's composition and action plan in the plenary session ofWednesday, May 9.With 388 MPs present at the moment of the vote, 324 MPs voted aye, and53 no, the government and its action plan--with 11 MPs abstaining.Prior to the vote, dozens of opposition MPs left in protestthehemicycle of the National Assembly.Opposition MPs firmly believed that Kabila and Matata had conspired tohave the Finance Minister's status downgraded to a mere "MinisterDelegate, in charge of Finances."They were...

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MPs flummoxed by Government Action Program presented by Premier Augustin Matata

The National Assembly held a marathon 10-hour plenary session thatstarted in the afternoon of Monday and ended at 00:20 of Tuesday.(As mandated by the Constitution, the prime minister introducesmembers of his new cabinet and exposes the government action plan tothe National Assembly, which then approves or rejects both--afterquestions and a debate by MPs chosen by their parliamentary groups.The premier has then from 24 hours to 72 hours to respond to MPs'queries.)Members of foreign diplomatic missions accredited to Kinshasa werepresent in the first...

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Nicolas Le Pen into the trash bin of history

French voters have spoken and, as of 8 p.m. Paris time this Sunday,Nicolas Sarkozy has been tossed into the trash bin of history.On March 14, the Wall Street Journal published a caustic editorialentitled "Nicolas Le Pen." The WSJ was decrying the way Sarko had"ramped anti-immigrant rhetoric" in a cynical "attempt to woosupporters of Marine Le Pen's xenophobic National Front ahead of thefirst-round poll on April 22."In between the two rounds, Sarko openly courted Le Pen's supporters,intensified his anti-immigrant attacks--turning French citizens...

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God has just broken into this world in Goma: Infant born with letter from Lord Almighty to Raïs Kabila (RTNC)

Shortly before noon today, Léon Elongo Kanda-Kanda, North Kivuprovincial director of state-owned national broadcasting system(RTNC), appeared on Kinshasa TV to announce auspicious news from Goma.Kanda-Kanda was appearing on the mid-morning Kabila-mongering show"701 Congo Histoire" anchored by sycophant Lushima Ndjate.Kanda-Kanda went on to say that yesterday, Friday 4, at 4 a.m. easternDRC time (GMT + 2), at the Virunga quarter of Goma, a midwifedelivered a newborn (gender unspecified) with her left hand clenchedinto a fist.Upon unclenching the...

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Weird recycling tale from eastern Congo: Condoms used as shoe polish and make-up remover in Goma (UhakiNews)

Magguy Kakule, a reporter who writes for the all-female Kivus-basedand IWPR-funded Congolese e-zine UhakiNews, posted a funny story onMarch 20 that was only brought to my attention this afternoon.The story is titled "Goma: Condom comme cirage moins cher" (Goma:Condom as cheap shoe polish).Besides the use of condoms by men as shoe polish, Kakule also reportsthat condoms' lubricant is also used as make-up remover by youngwomen.Well, as it turns out, those condoms are handed out for free byAIDS-prevention NGOs. Maybe they should now think about adding...

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Why Nations Fail: A depressing read that ought to be a reference book for Congolese politicos

D., the mother of my daughter Elikia, was in Kinshasa this past weekon a business trip.Having read and re-read all the books I'd brought with me in Kinshasafrom the Boston and Washington over the years, I am desperate forreading materials, as you can imagine, in a city that has no bookshopsor libraries to speak of.I was hoping to get from D. maybe one or two novels she'd have carriedin her hand luggage. I got instead tons of books--mostly fantasy andsci-fi trilogies--downloaded from her Amazon/Kindle account directlyinto my PC Kindle virtual library...

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Radio-Trottoir Feed: Fatwa against Nicolas Sarkozy in Kinshasa

Kinois were particularly happy to watch Nicolas Sarkozy flounder inthe marathon 3-hour presidential debate with contender FrançoisHollande on Wednesday night, May 2.Congolese begrudge Sarkozy for suggesting on two occasions--in 2009and in 2010--that the recipe for peace in the African Great Lakesregion would be that Congo share its natural resources with Rwanda!For instance, at a press conference he held in Kigali on February 25,2010, Sarkozy blurted:"Anything that makes [Kabila and Kagame] talk to each other, gets themorganized, France supports...

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DRC: Lineup of New and Smaller Cabinet

The new government of the DRC was officially announced in a communiquéfrom Kabila's chief of staff read on state-owned RTNC radio and TVchannel in the evening of Saturday, April 28.Five observations right off the bat:1) the new government is smaller than the previous one (36 vs. 46);2) Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo hoards his previous FinanceMinistry portfolio;3) Lambert Mende Omalanga returns as Information Minister;4) the injection of new blood in critical ministries; and5) Six women feature in the new government as ministers and vice-ministers:Here's...

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