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The Congolese Need To Change Their Ways ‘Zambians Have Tolerated Their Uncalled For Behaviour For Too Long’
WHAT happened to Derrick Chanda, that humble Zambian truck driver who was burnt to death by some lawless Congolese nationals, is very sad. But this is what happens when lawlessness is allowed to reign over a country. We understand the history of our neighbours in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a history of lawlessness, of impunity. But everything has got a time.
This lawlessness cannot go on forever, especially when the victims are innocent citizens of a neighbouring country. For a long time, Zambians have not had it easy travelling to or through Congo DR.
As foreign affairs minister Given Lubinda acknowledges, complaints against the harassment of Zambian truck drivers and other travellers to and through Congo have been there for a long time. The problem is not only at Kasumbalesa. There are also problems encountered by those who travel through the pedicle road to Luapula and the Copperbelt. Zambia has tolerated this uncalled for behaviour on the part of Congolese for a very long time.
In the days of Mobutu, it was understandable because that country, strictly speaking, had no functioning government. It was each person for himself; workers paid themselves from harassing others, especially those passing through their country. We all know the days of the kabokes. But more is expected from the current leadership of Congo DR, especially those running Katanga.
There is an effective leadership in Lubumbashi that should be capable of bringing the rule of law to our common borders. But it seems this is not their priority. Why? Probably because they benefit from this lawlessness. We have many Congolese truck drivers and other nationals passing through Zambia every day, but no one is subjected to unfair treatment on account of their Congolese nationality.
The governor of Katanga himself has a huge fleet of trucks, Hakuna Matata, that is hammering our roads every day. But they are not subjected to any unfair treatment by our immigration, customs, police and other authorities and nationals of Zambia. Katangese will have a lot of problems if the Zambian people and Zambian authorities started treating them the way they are treating others.
Today, it is not only Zambian truck drivers who are up in arms against them, but all truck drivers from the SADC region. Katanga depends on the SADC region for almost all its supplies. And almost all its exports pass through the SADC region. Hostility from the people of our region can spell doom for the economy of Katanga, and indeed even for the personal business of Katanga governor Moses Katumbi himself.
It is therefore in the best interest of the Congolese people to take this matter seriously and address the concerns being raised by the truck drivers from the SADC region and by authorities of the Zambian government. We do not want to see a situation where Zambians and other members of our region start to hit back at the Congolese. We don’t want a situation of revenge. You can’t build a united region, an integrated region on the basis of revenge.
But the violence of the Congolese, if not stopped, if not meaningfully addressed, can do only one thing, and that is to breed counter-violence. Burning another human being alive is an extreme form of barbarism that no civilised people or society can tolerate. People who carry out such barbaric acts are no better than animals. We urge the Zambian people not to take any revenge against any Congolese national.
It will be wrong for the Zambians to live by the low standards of the Congolese that they are today condemning. Let the rule of law prevail. Let all the grievances against the way our people are mistreated in Congo be dealt with in a lawful way. Sad and painful things like these happen, but such things should not turn us into animals.
Our example, our daily deeds as ordinary Zambians must produce an actual reality that will reinforce our belief in justice. No Zambian should go round harassing Congolese. Let us therefore boldly face the challenges facing us as a result of lawlessness in our neighbouring country of Congo DR, resolute to do our duty well and manfully; resolute to uphold righteousness by deed and word; resolute to be both honest and brave, to serve high ideals.
The Congolese are our neighbours, whatever their faults, whatever their offences against us may be. Let’s impress upon them our ultimate and essential friendliness towards them. Their behaviour is sometimes barbaric.
If the burning of Derrick alive is not barbarism, then what methods does barbarism employ? We would advise patience; we would advise tolerance; we would advise understanding; we would advise all those things which are necessary for people of neighbouring countries who share a common history to live together.
Let’s avoid violence against any Congolese. That does not mean we should be weak, but rather that we should, in strength and in unity, face all the troubles that are in front of us. It is time the issue of lawlessness in Congo is addressed and addressed firmly and urgently.
There is need to bring an end to the harassment of Zambians travelling to or passing through Congo. Failure to do so should certainly have consequences on the people of Congo and their leaders. Lawlessness and impunity have to end. As we have started to witness, every lawless act leaves an incurable wound, like one left by a double-edged sword.
The Congolese government has a duty to ensure that Zambian nationals and citizens of other countries travelling to or through their country are safe, are protected from harassment. And the SADC governments have a duty to ensure that the Congo DR government fulfils its regional and international obligations to protect the citizens of other countries that are found in their territory.
This is an obligation the leaders and people of Congo DR cannot ignore with impunity. If this behaviour does not change, there will be consequences. This is not advocating for revenge; it is simply a matter of reminding them of their obligations to others.
The same way we would not want to see a Congolese national mistreated in our country is the same we would not like to see a citizen of our country mistreated in Congo. The governor of Katanga lived in our country for many years and made a lot of money from here and no one mistreated him.
Even when he did wrong things, he was treated with the respect that every human being deserves. This is the civility and humility we expect from the Congolese people and their leaders. We want them to realise that non-Congolese are also human beings deserving their respect and compassion.
Posted by Editor
on July 9, 2012. Filed under LATEST NEWS.
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Charlie Saykes
July 10, 2012 at 11:25 am
No wonder the Belgians treated them like animals. They surely are worse than their chimpanzee brothers and sisters.
katyetye
July 10, 2012 at 12:01 pm
imbwa sha bantu.Let them go back afterall we can do without them
Kabende sabuka
July 10, 2012 at 12:19 pm
Kwati pali naba Congole
Umuntu
July 10, 2012 at 12:26 pm
THIS IS PURE PLAGIARISM. YOU GUYS DECIDED TO PICK ON AN EDITORIAL COMMENT FROM THE POST OF YESTERDAY AND PRESENT IT HERE LIKE IT WAS YOUR OWN -WITHOUT BOTHERING TO DO A REFERENCE.
SHAME!!!
snoopy doggy doggy
July 10, 2012 at 12:47 pm
F.U.C.K. YOU KABILA AND F.U.C.K ALL THE CONGOLESE PIPO. LET US BURN DOWN THESE IDIOTS
snoopy doggy doggy
July 10, 2012 at 12:48 pm
yah I agree with Umuntu ba Tumfweko, you be making your own stories. this exact story was an editorial in Monday’s Post Newspaper
TALIBAN 86
July 10, 2012 at 1:04 pm
PRESIDENT SATA, RECTUITE US AS SOLDIERS WE GO SORT OUT THESE FUCKERS CONGOLEES IN DA NAME OF WAR. BUT WIL B PURE REVANGE TO ME
kangwa joseph
July 10, 2012 at 1:32 pm
God punished them
CROSSLEY SINYAMUKI
July 10, 2012 at 2:35 pm
CONGOLESE R IDIOTS
Kabende sabuka
July 10, 2012 at 3:37 pm
fools
Ngendah Jimmy Nyambe Kafungwa Junior
July 10, 2012 at 4:25 pm
I cant believe these people are so cruel, anyway thou shall not revenge because revenge belongs to God.
john sinyangwe
July 10, 2012 at 7:16 pm
let us teach them ,kill them one by one ,batuchusha pafula.
mule
July 10, 2012 at 7:45 pm
two months ago a car hit two people on ndola kitwe highway who died on the spot the car was burnt and driver was served by a wisker the mob wanted to burn him with the car,what happened in congo is mob instinct its difficult to control it can happen anywhere
chams
July 11, 2012 at 9:28 am
There is no rule of law in DR Congo.Have the authorities arrested anyone in this matter?
kes
July 11, 2012 at 11:22 am
The Congolese also do not ralise that there are many congolese staying peacefully in Zambia. The Guys are rough, I was there in 2007, arriving at the airport, realised I gorgot my yellow fever card, I was charged US$60, the airport official who went to pick my bag while I was being asked of my yellow fever card brought the bag and demanded for a pay and I had nothing to do but just paid him. Before I went I was cautioned “They will want to get every dollar in your pocket” and I proved it. When I was returning I met a lady from Cameroun who was also complaining. she said “Congolese are rough to foreigners, am going to tell my boss I will never come to this country again”. At her guest flat money was stolen. Certain things you can only beleive if you have experienced them
uhdhfhiji
July 11, 2012 at 11:23 am
we know now that the so called zambian driver was a congolese immigrant living in zambian….please before publishing an information take your time to investigate…lazy guyz
uhdhfhiji
July 11, 2012 at 11:33 am
my frd kes,congolese go through same things every day at kasumbalesa boarder,yo immigrations officers are terribly corrupt they even kill each other to be transfered to kasumbalesa,u hav to pay for any single day u stay in zambia when we all know that the visa price doesnt depend on number of days u will spend….drive a car with a congolese number plate in zambia and see hw mch money this so called traffic police will charge u for nothing…u r nt better my frd
Honest woman
July 11, 2012 at 11:45 am
The mode of killing was rather cannibalistic, like the Congolese desperately needed to sniff the smell of a burning human being. No wonder gorillas and chimps are a delicacy to them. Could they be extinct now, so to satisfy themselves, they set on a human being, shame!
Garry toddy
July 11, 2012 at 9:19 pm
Why,why why,….
ar eyou really sure that congolese are so bad?? do you forget than zambians are even worse than congolese???
can you zambian accept to live alive a congolese driver who bushes 3 of your zambian brothers??
why is it that it is only zambia which want many things.
Dear zambian brothers,it is true that i am also touched by what happen ,but you have to know that you were going to do the same if that happened to you.Congo has facilitated business in zambia so much let us not forget that. Please.
Garry toddy
July 11, 2012 at 9:25 pm
Zambia is also a christian country…
are you tellinbg me that you have to leave alive someone who ahas killed 3 people at once???
i saw congolese being mistreated by our zambian police men,immigration officers are very rich by making pay congolese over what they are suppose to pay.
Take your time befoire reacting or insulting.We are all coming from that country we are insulting.
Let us pay back love to these people and God will not forget us.
Ken
July 11, 2012 at 10:52 pm
@ Mutola Nkani,chez mukwai.I heard that Kabila had gone mad in april,some said he was bewitched by chisekedi Mubutu s long standing opponent.Early june i got news again that the supreme court gave him 72 hours to resign if he did not recover from his madness,anyone with news concerning Kabila,please l will very grateful. If it is true the head of state is out of order,then its citizens can behave in any regretable manner which is not acceptable anywhere in this world,l was hurt when l saw pictures of a brother being packed in a plastic,l just felt like slaying all kasayis for revenge,lets wait and see law will restore fairness especially for a brother (rest in peace) who was mudered and his evidence destroyed yet he did not intend to kill those kasayis
Mulenga Mulenga
July 13, 2012 at 9:25 am
I wish all ma Congole should be deported back to their land until the culprits are killed by hanging ba liya sana, Zambia has provided almost everything for them and they cant even appreciate Ba Kolwe, imbwa shabantu. let them go back to their pathetic poor poor stinking rotten land.
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