Cédric Kalonji

Kinshasa, municipality of Ngaliema, Binza Ozone, district of Manenga. The heavy rains of the last few days have caused considerable damage. More than twenty dwellings were engulfed in enormous erosion that continues to grow and gains ground every day.

So far, luckily, there has been no casualty to deplore. The residents of this area have to be careful when it rains, so as not to get trapped. They leave their houses and they watch, powerless, as Nature swallows their dwellings. Don’t tell them that rain is a godsend!

«We warned the authorities right from the beginning, when this erosion was still very small, but nothing was done», one of the district residents told me. He is now homeless. The many appeals for help sent by the population do not seem to reach the ears of our dear leaders. Maybe they are waiting for someone to die, before they do something?

Only a few weeks ago, I was wondering about the criteria on the basis of which building sites were selected but I am wondering even more now, as I see how fast infrastructures are deteriorating in the entire country. Roads, pipes, water and electricity distribution, everything is in disarray.

Whereas the population is still waiting for work to begin on the five building areas, our rulers seem to hold their breath, waiting for the Chinese to come with their billions. I am wondering how long they can still hold their breath and whether they don’t run the risk of suffocating.

With the five building areas, each Congolese expects his or her living conditions to improve. Will the Chinese billions be sufficient to solve the problems of the entire Congolese population?

Watch this space…

Photo Album of the erosion

A few days ago, I was asked to cover a trial in the Yolo neighborhood of the municipality of Kalamu in Kinshasa. Two men were appearing in court, one for stealing 56 meters of cable belonging to the National Electricity Board (SNEL) and the other one for buying the stolen cable.

This kind of theft is quite common in Kinshasa and the thieves did not encounter any major problem, since there is hardly ever any power in districts like Yolo. They can take advantage of darkness and it is easier for them to snip the cables since they know that there is no risk of electric shock.

The trial was more like a drama than anything else. Four chairs and a garden table, a sun screen, two judges, one counsel for SNEL and another for the two accused men, and of course a handful of local residents. Journalists were also attending.

The verdict: A twelve months’ jail sentence plus a US$10 fine for the robber and six months’ jail for the receiver. I hope that these criminals will serve their time and that we will not see the same scenario again, of criminals buying their freedom for a small sum of money, after a few weeks.

Photo album of the trial

I have been asked by many of you to write about good things or about those Congolese who manage to get along in a country without any formal structures. I am therefore starting this series on ‘Smart Congolese‘ and the first ones today will be the traffic police, more commonly called ‘roulages’.

The job
Their role is to regulate traffic and to take care that the rules of the road are complied with. They are found along the few roads that are still paved in Kinshasa and in other parts of the Congo. Every day, they perform their job, standing up to the hot tropical sun, but they do not like the rain too much. When it starts to rain, they run for shelter and in the meantime, drivers have to manage without them.

Just a few figures
One traffic officer speaking on condition of anonymity gave me some very interesting figures. When he is lucky enough to receive his pay, the amount is about US$30 per month. He has 6 children, two at university, three in school and the last one is still a toddler.

He pays US$80 in rent. Not counting the cost of text books and various other additional costs, he pays 180 dollars per year and per child in university, and approximately 120 dollars per year and per child in school. Should I mention also that being the head of the household, this man must also feed, dress and pay for health care for himself and his family?

Based on these statistical data, you don’t need to be a financial expert to see that this civil servant spends a lot more than what he receives.

« I get by », he answered when I asked him how he managed.

So how do they manage?
They stop as many offending drivers as possible during the day, and they make them cough up a few francs. If there has been no real offense, he has to find one, to make one up, if necessary. The fines vary, depending on the driver, and even on the color of the driver’s skin. And thanks to oral tradition, payment is made without a receipt.

Depending on how lucrative their spot is, traffic officers can make an average of 20 dollars per day. They must give some of the money to the « commanders », those who stay locked up in their offices all day long. « I give the commander some of the money I make so that he makes sure to always assign me the best spots » my traffic friend gave me to understand.

The best customers
Top of their list of best customers are cab drivers. These are not very well-educated and they don’t know their rights too well, often they are not legitimate and therefore they are ready to pay without making too much of a fuss. But you have to be very careful, because they are very unpredictable. One moment of distraction and they will slip through your fingers.

Then come the expatriates (preferably whites) who do not know the rules of the country very well and they are shaking with fear in front of police officers, thinking that they are as nasty as the ones back home. But one has to be careful, because they might know someone higher up and they could make a fuss.

Because of this situation, should we badmouth the traffic police for corruption, or should we consider that similar to other underpaid Congolese civil servants, they are fighting for survival in their own ways, in order to earn their daily bread?