Friday, March 29, 2024

DRC’s President Joseph Kabila upset over Katumbi’s presence in Zambia

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Former Katanga Governor Moise Katumbi seated next to State House Spokesman Amos Chanda at Heroes Stadium
Former Katanga Governor Moise Katumbi seated next to State House Spokesman Amos Chanda at Heroes Stadium

The Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has protested over the presence of former Katanga Governor Moise Katumbi at the under-20 AFCON semi-finals between Zambia and South Africa at Heroes Stadium last week.

Accompanied by State House Spokesman Amos Chanda, Mr Katumbi mingled and interacted with football fans at the match.

In a statement addressed to the Ministry of Home affairs in Zambia, the Congolese Embassy in Zambia stated that it was not right for the Zambian government to grant Mr. Katumbi an entry Visa into Zambia because he was facing charges before judicial authorities in his country.

“Indeed, as a fairly and brotherly government of the Republic of Zambia knows, Mr Moise Katumbi Chapwe displays behaviour likely to undermine the peace, stability and well-being of the Congolese people because he proclaims himself enemy number one to the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, H.E. Mr Joseph Kabila Kabange. He travelled all over the world to plead for the arrest of the Congolese authorities and he pushes the international community to take sanctions against the institutions of the Democratic Republic of Congo,” stated the Congolese Embassy in Lusaka.

The embassy stated that it could not understand why the Zambian government would grant Katumbi an entry visa into Zambia looking at the kind of relationship the two countries enjoyed.

“According to sources, Katumbi is prepared to set up a militia in charge of the destabilization of the institutions of the Republic of Congo. He is also pushing the Congolese population to an uprising that is likely to plunge the Democratic Republic of Congo into indescribable chaos and he is also subject to prosecution before the judicial authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo.”

“In view of this situation, considering the good relations of solidarity, fraternity and friendship between the Republic of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, it cannot be understood that the government of the Republic of Zambia had granted the entry visa in its territory in favour of Mr Moise Katumbi Chapwe,” the Embassy complained.

The Embassy even went further to ask how the Zambian government would have felt if the Congolese government showed the solidarity that the Zambian government had showed Katumbi to one of its rivals.

“What would be the reaction of the Zambian government if Mr Hakainde Hichilema was on Congolese territory and received by the High Political Authorities?” asked the Embassy asked.

103 COMMENTS

  1. The 2 illegitimate Presidents are now on each other’s throat becoz of money and power.Kabila has no mandate to Rule DRC since his Term expired last year. Lungu stole Elections which were petitioned by the Opposition and is clinging to power illegally. Let them fight. As they say thieves and their money will soon part.

    • Scandal after scandal. He is opposition wanted in Congo and he is on the run. So imagine HH goes to watch football with ZUMA or Magufuli or Kenyata, etc while on the run, what would the Lungu team say?

    • The difference is that nobody, apart from Mmembe, is in the run. HH is right here in Lusaka and shakes the band of Lungu when they meet. It is different with Katumbi who is supposed to be sick in London. That’s the excuse he uses for not appearing in court in DRC.

    • The Congolese should know that Katumbi is Bemba. Had they listened to the conversation between Katumbi, Kalusha and Chanda, they would have heard neither English nor French, but Bemba. What is wrong with Bemba monkeys congregating together?

    • @ 1.4 Namaloya,

      But come to think of it; has Congo made official communication to foreign governments regarding katumbi’s position?

      You don’t expect foreign governments to interfere with a matter that has not officially been communicated to them.

      They will treat such a matter as being an internal matter.

    • @ 1.4 Namaloya,

      In fact foreign governments shall be justified to claim they were not aware, if such official communication is absent.

    • I only urge HH to warm up relations with the Congolese Party in power. In diplomacy, it is always said that “You scratch my back, I scratch yours in return”. This is called RECIPROCAL DIPLOMACY. it is encouraged in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR). make hay while the sun shines UPND.

    • YOUR PEOPLE ARE ALSO UPSET ABOUT YOUR DICTATORSHIP, BWANA.
      WHY CAN’T KATUMBI BE IN ZAMBIA IN THE FIRST PLACE? YOU WHERE NOT UPSET WHEN HE WAS IN THE USA, BUT, YOU ARE UPSET WHEN HE WAS /IS IN ZAMBIA? RUBBISH.

    • “In a statement addressed to the Ministry of Home affairs in Zambia, the Congolese Embassy in Zambia stated that it was not right for the Zambian government to grant Mr. Katumbi an entry Visa into Zambia because he was facing charges before judicial authorities in his country.” BUT, DID HE COMMIT THE OFFENCES IN ZAMBIA? ADDITIONALLY, DID THE D?R CONGO PROTEST TO THE USA GOVERNMENT WHEN KATUMBI WENT TO AMERICA FEW MONTHS, AGO?

  2. President Kabila should recall that Moses is a free citizen of the world! Also Moses has a long history living and doing business in Zambia. Let the Congolese govt not get over excited over nothing!

    • The clock is ticking away on hapless Kabila. Soon, his demons will come back to haunt him. At that time, he too may then come to grips with reality and start relishing the safety and security provided by another country! Where is that so called Gambian strongman today, and what became of his dreams to rule Gambia for eternity?

  3. No need for DRC to panic over Katumbi’s presence at the U20 AFCON final! I don’t think he attended in his capacity as a politician; he runs one of the biggest clubs on the African continent! Give us a break Mr Ambassador! You and Kabila need to heed Mandela’s advice to the USA Admin when they wanted Mandela to disown Gaddafi. Mandela made it clear to them that the fact he (Mandela) was friends with USA does not make all US enemies Mandela’s enemies too! And if Africa was to allow that mentality, there’d be no friends eventually!

    • Umwine: Brilliant analysis. HH is not facing a criminal record to give as an example. The man Moses is a suspect and if he was a convict he would not be roaming around the world. If all countries treated suspects as convicts then the whole world would be at a stand still. Ambassador you have missed the point here and there is no need for you to be upset with us. RSA hosted a man facing conviction for crimes against humanity and no one made noise. In any case Moses is currently your serious opponent in your illegal government. Deal your illegality first before blaming us for your own ills. The man owns TP Mazembe and he came to scout for players. By the way why has you Government not closed the club?

    • those are words that we all need to consider most in our dealings with others, don’t make me hate HH or Lungu because you hate them

  4. Nobody knows Hungry Hyena (HH) outside his strongholds such as Namwala even here in Zambia, what more in Congo? HH is a non entity on the global stage- you can’t compare Hungry Hyena to an international business man like Moses! Hosting HH in Congo? That would be funny.

    • Iwe so called 2020vision, your hatred of HH and the UPND is driving your balls to freeze. This morning your so-called President was in Parliament to preach unity and peace and you are continuing on the path of disunity and hatred! What a stupid fellow you are who can even oppose your own President! Are you Kaiser Zulu?

    • @2020vision
      You spoke so well in your earlier comment until your next comment where you started attacking HH.tamumfwa bwino nga tamu shimbwile ishina lyakwe atini?he has nothing to do with KATUMBI being in zambia.

  5. Kabila should also understand that not only does Katumbi have significant business interests in Zambia,particularly in Kitwe, he also has substantial Zambian blood in him. He is the nephew of Mwata Kazembe of Luapula and is thus free to visit his relatives in Zambia.

  6. @ Chirwa, u r point on!

    – Both illegitimate Presidents think opposition leaders & their members belong in JAIL. Obvious Mwaliteta & thousands of UPND cadres are still in JAIL without bail. Yet murderous THUGS like Kaizer Zulu & Max Chongo roam the streets “above the law”.

    – Both believe it’s their birthright to have 3rd terms & then rule till Mugabe.
    – Both believe in suppression of MEDIA FREEDOM.
    – Both thrive on violence & POLICE BRUTALITY on the masses to hold onto power.
    – Both are too MYOPIC to remember how their predecessors downfall. Mobutu’s died lonely in Morocco & his body is still stuck there.
    – Both preside on what should be the 2 richest nations in Africa with so much mineral wealth, with nothing to show for it, so much arable land & largest fresh water &…

  7. Isn’t this man the owner of TP Mazembe? What’s wrong with him watching soccer in Zambia! Kabila was not elected ECL was. You can compair HH with Katumbi. HH lost. Kabila is not eligimate ECL is. If you told a person who has never left Zambia that black people are a minority in the world they would think you are mad. Same with UPND members. They dont understand that 51% is more than 49%. How can you help them? 49% is a huge number but rules of majority rule dictatate that 50% is greater than 48%… get over yourselves.

  8. I have a problem with the DRC government concerning their diplomacy. Though I am not UPND neither do I support HH but I strongly believe he has the right to legally visit any country on earth and be entertained and mingle with anyone as long as the man is not doing anything illegal. And some of us will be the first to protest if the government of Zambia is seen to infringe on these rights. the DRC government cannot refuse entry to Katumbi merely because he has issues with Kabila! That is not the way international diplomacy works. Katumbi has not been declared a fugitive nor has he been declared an international criminal. I believe katumbi if he so wish can even apply for asylum in Zambia especially that his mother hails from Zambia (Luapula). In the past many Zambians who found themselves…

  9. …In the past many Zambians who found themselves at odds with GRZ have entered and sought refuge in our friendly countries and GRZ did not protest because it is their right. So the DRC embassy should understand that their differences Moise cannot be extended to Zambia we have our own issues to be worried with than these nonsense.

    • @Pondaiti; You have hit the nail on the head. This exactly is how normal people ought to see things. Why do some African leaders insist on taking our countries back to stone age times just to suppress prominent opposition leaders? However, in this case, Moise visibly being entertained by State house is sending quite a loaded message to the world but knowing our PF guys, it may just be because there is something to “eat”from Moise.

  10. Kabila shut up you have no army. Those uniformed men in your country are not soldiers but bandits trained to terrorise their own citizens. Try us and get walloped hands down. We know your so called soldiers hate the sound of guns and scamper at the first shot; they would rather hold guitars than guns. Your stay in power is only guaranteed by the protection of the Mugabe army. As a sovereign nation we’re free to host any free citizen of the world. Kupusa bati! We’ll ask the Senegal U20 to bewitch you.

  11. @maloza on the issue of the so called thousands of UPND cadres in jail can you print out a list of the names and submit it to Lsk times? If what you say is true why haven’t your Party leadership raised this matter? And don’t say “media suppression” because you have several independent platforms to raise this matter including your own ZWD site but instead of doing that you would rather just insult and spread fake news. Your party leadership don’t care about even one of their cadres in jail let alone thousands in jail if at all that is a true number why because they are conmen and selfish and not fit to rule this land!

    • @2020vision. I think u need to go back for an eye test. Even 1 political prisoner is one too many.

      Don’t bury your head in the sand. Dictators start off very well, but are created by pipo like u who love to hero-worship them. Why hate ZWD, Muvi-TV, Komboni Radio etc. so much to even use state resources to shut it down? I don’t insult or spread fake news:- Just google for yourself:-

      “UPND political prisoners”

    • @maloza in your own words, “Mwaliteta and thousands of UPND cadres are still in jail without bail”. If at all you are a sincere person and not just the usual lying, bitter, conceited United Dunderhead member then please produce that list so that the media and State can take it up seriously. “Thousands” is the figure you gave and that is a huge number but the truth is you are just another lying, exaggerating Dunderhead that doesn’t know his mouth from as your fellow United Dunderhead Chiyaya would say “arse.whore” .. Cretin!

    • @maloser when one calls a legally elected President illegitimate, compares that leader to Kabila and further labels the leader as a “douchebag” what is that? That’s why I call you Dunderheads because you can’t take your own medicine of insulting others..Proper Dunderheads!

      @marie-an learn to read

      @mos dumb I am a senior blogger, you and the above baby bloggers have much to learn about commenting. Watch and learn mwana.

  12. All three are corrupt thugs who don’t care for you and I. Katumbi has lungu in his pockets and lungu cannot do anything to stop him coming to Zambia. Next Katumbi will be standing as president under pf and the pf dullards will vote enmasse for another illegitimate president

  13. @Maloza, don’t spoil your good case by including Mwaliteta on the list of UPND political prisoners. The whole world (including Obvious himself) knows why Mwaliteta is incarcerated: He committed a felony under the guise politics. He kind of pushed his luck too far. Otherwise everything else you’ve said rings with merit.

    • @ Chalo: Is Kaizer Zulu an election officer? If not, then what was he doing with ballot boxes at City Airport? Mwaliteta’s offence of executing a citizen’s arrest on Kaizer is a felony ONLY in minds like yours & screw*d up/upside-down Zambian Justice system.

    • If mwaliteta committed un offence take him to court not keeping him illegally in jail because he caught your God kaisala red handed with ballot papers when he was not un electoral officer.A day will come when you shall be answerable for these atrocities you are committing.

    • For sure umulandu taubola thats what politicians forget. Today power is sweet to abuse it but tomorrow its gone. no leader will lead for ever untill Jesus comes. God will twist his winds at one point and you find yourself out. The very people who supports you will be the very people to cast stone on you.

  14. This is one of the most childish diplomatic complaints to filed in 2017. It is not even diplomatic. It is like children complaining, even giving a childish example of a childish revenge. Katumbi is a free man. If the DRC has not confiscated his passport to stop him from foreign trips (which is non.sense), they expect GRZ to do that for them??

    • That’s the problem of people who are criminally minded. They fail to reason with peace. Someone came to watch soccer and the entire DRC breaks loose. Scared brats.

  15. Surely this is African mentality where human rights are not observed. there is no extradition treaty between Zambia and DRC. Moreover, the diplomacy between one country and another is governed by international law.
    The rule of law is the best corporate governance in every country. Congo is almost a failed state best the rule of law is never respected. Most security officers are never paid. Pass through pedicle from Copperbelt to luapula, you will be shocked to see the type of workforce, buildings and commerce, agricultural activity…… Friends , I was very disappointed and wondered why do we have such leaders in Africa who think of themselves only……….
    Let us make a difference as Zambia

  16. kabila is a dictator, period. katumbi will take over one day so they want to give politically motivated offences. why compare HH to katumbi?

  17. Kabila should be out of office…he is looking for third term so he can continue looting from his very rich mineral resource country. Look at that photo a grown a$$ man like Galu busy taking selfies this is the selfsame person who kept interfering with TP Mazembe players like Sunzu who would have been playing in top leagues in Europe if it was not for his greed. You also have Amos sitting next to Katumba there making connections for his corrupt boss Lazy.

    • You are a person whose covetous nature can be compared only to that of swine.
      You wish you were in his place don’t you?At least he takes photos with people you recognise but who the fcuk are you ? Get off your small donkey. Let them live their lives.

  18. Kikiki yaba! African politics kuwayawayafye, he doesn’t even want to see a glimpse of him on TV, kikiki just like chagwa, he has barred deadNBC from covering HH.

    I remember one politician in America who stood against one incumbent president, i was shocked to see American TV channels even the government run voice of America show him visiting American troops in Afghanistan during campaigns, i was like God, if it was Zambia the army commander would be sacked with immediate effect, whatever that term means.

    • Americans may differ on opinions but an American will never condemn another American to the outside world the way we treat our opposition in Africa.

    • Bloggers talking about America here are not privy to American Politics & the mess going on there. Maybe spend time watching Fox, CNN, ABC, and reading NYT e.t.c. You will be updated of what is going on there right now- not a political paradise as you think. By the way, just go to Facebook Live! for more American politics.

  19. Its like your child steals food and give the neighbor’s child. And instead of blaming you child for stealing, you blame the neighbor’s child for accepting the stolen food. Before they question as why we allowed him entry have they questioned themselves why they allowed him to exit that country? Its not like he just passed through Zambian check point without passing through the DRC check point.

  20. y don’t you chaps talk about katumbi the man in question than other people .that’s y u don’t know politics kuwawafya.

  21. There you have it, it’s not just PF / Lungu suffering from myopic thinking. The childish logic from DRC embassy officials is depressing. A five year old would be incapable of such immaturity. So sad.

  22. Katumbi has a long standing visa to stay in Zambia. It only shows ignorance on the part of the DRC government which knows the Katumbi has a lot of business ties and houses in Zambia. Besides has the Congolese issued an international arrest warrant for him? And how would the international community react if Zambia arrested Katumbi and handed him to the DRC where he could end up like Patrice Lumumba? Let’s not take useless hatred for PF to condemn the presence in Zambia. Even this Kabila at one time spent time in Kitwe Bulangililo. His enemies are not our enemies.

  23. That DRC ambassador is a Kaponya by all standards. What kind of thinking is that? How can he think that HH shouldn’t be entertained by other countries’ politicians? If I remember very well when a government official from Brazil visited Zambia, He had to visit Sata after meeting Rupiah Banda. This was despite the fact that Sata was still in opposition. Just last year before the elections, a number of diplomats accredited to Zambia attended a function at HH’s residence. That’s how democracy works. Only a fool will have a problem with that. This is why DRC will never come out of conflicts. You can’t have people who think like that. Isn’t it ironic that a country named ‘Democratic Republic of Congo’ is not even a democracy?

  24. African politics are very childish. It is only Africa and some Arab countries where you can find dictators clinging to power why?

  25. Is the unhappy logic of the DRC embassy in Zambia in line with the Fritz Heider’s Social Balance Theory?
    Is it diplomatically right to assume that
    My friend’s friend is my friend;
    My friend’s enemy is my enemy;
    My enemy’s friend is my enemy;
    My enemy’s enemy is my….?

    May be not!

  26. In what capacity is Kabila questioning Katumbi’s presence in Zambia while his term of office ended last year?

  27. Kabila will be shocked the time he will find out that Mr Moses Katumbi has a zambian citizenship. Remember Mr Katumbi once lived in Zambia for over 10 years and did alot of business with people like the bena VJ, the late Chiluba just to mention some few criminals

  28. Katumbi nikabwalala fye who did zero for Southern Katanga.Even Lubumbashi where he lives is huge shanty compund where people still use pit latrines and draw water from well in townships like Kamalondo,Rwashi,Kenya and Katuba.
    There is no tar road from Lubumbashi to Sakanya and yet copper mines are in that region.Zambia had to tar a road (pedicle) in their country and as governor he refused for DRC to contribute to the roads costruction as well as Levi Bridge at Chembe.Useless chap.

  29. the congolese government is headed by a wrong person, whose term expired. a passport or any other document with an expiry date, can not be used after that stated date of expiry. you have to apply for a new one. so why is kabila still there as president? joseph kabila is the one who is supposed to appear before those foolish and rusty courts in DRC because he is an expired head of state. LEAVE KATUMBI ALONE.

    • Zambian people you must cherish want little you have of your political maturity. Think about it, would the Zambian people agree to a new president who has only been in Zambia for 4 years of his life, who speaks French and none of your dialects? That’s Kabila of real name Hyppolite Kanambe. Who has systematically eliminated all his traces to adopt “Kabila” as his surname. This could never happen in Zambia. What you see from that Ambassador is nothing compare to the politicians we see everyday in Kinshasa. Praising the pr

  30. BEFORE YOU MAKE ANY COMMENT ABOUT THIS, PLEASE READ THE LETTER CAREFULLY, IT IS A HOAX!
    (THE SIMPLE BELIEVE EVERYTHING)

  31. DRC must write in either French or Kiswahili…may be ..just may be we will understand what they are talking about…

  32. Kalusha and this Chanda boy just want to suck themselves onto a brewing civil war. Anyway, they are all Katangese. They should just leave us Zambian out of this civil war they are creating, ba tubulu!

  33. Kitwe Police, another road block mounted at St Johns convent. I want to warn motorists to avoid using that road because they will be inconvenienced. All they want is money from people. The ka road block strategically hidden from the Public so that the Minister may not know that they are still mounting roadblocks here in Kitwe

  34. Ati ba-flag Buck Teeth Lungu. stoopiid toonga. just concentrate on making your cattle pregnant. may be you will add 1000 votes in 2021

    The Congolese should know that Katumbi is Bemba. Had they listened to the conversation between Katumbi, Kalusha and Chanda, they would have heard neither English nor French, but Bemba. What is wrong with Bemba monkeys congregating together?

  35. As much as Katumbi is a crook, he owns a football club of international significance. He came to scout for future players.

  36. Now you Congolese, mvelani bamabala. Olo abwere mu Zambia Katumbi, ni Zambia yayoko? Nayo bola yamene enze kutamba yayanyoko?

  37. this ambassador and kabila are full of no sens;can you go to tell all the country not recrive katumbi,is it zambia province of congo?or iñdependent country?this ambassador must go back to school to learn again or he want to show to kabila that he is good chapeace

    • I agree with you. We the Congolese are fed up with all of our diplomatic reprentatives. They are all working for Kabila and he may not even be a Congolese citizen but Rwandese like his president.

  38. But……is that letter about HH&Co? We got enough problems of our own, to be masterminding your bean fight. Please don’t start fighting each other in Zambia. Visit, go home and we’ll send Katu…whatever back to you ok.

  39. Time to go! Three terms means time up! Mose is a better and a great leader! The little boy is afraid of Mose’s shadow! Time to go!

    • He will go even by force. He has participated in the killing of more than 10 or so millions of Congolese people. He has destructed all that Mobutu have left behing from simple things as access to clean drinking water, electricity, education, employment and nothing but Anarchy.

  40. what is Kabila going to do? Is he going to go to war against Zambia? He is a noise maker and needs to step down or go for elections.

  41. I have read almost all the comments on the issue and i feel obliged to bring some light in here. Congo has been occupied by Rwanda with the support of the USA and the likes since 1997. The current president who is known under the name of Joseph Kabila, his real name Hyppolite Kanambe, has puts his feets for the first time in then Zaire in 1997. Four years later he became the president of the Giant Congo. Under his rules, more than 10 millions Congolese has been killed. He did not even speak any of the languages or dialects spoken in the Congo. All the bilogical children of Laurent Desiree Kabila are in exile. Some are in SA and some in Europe. Those who remained in Congo, were eliminated one after the other. He was adopted from his Rwandese parents by Kabila and then he organisedba coup…

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