In Haut-Katanga, in the southeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where a wake is being held near the scene of the independence hero’s murder, Patrice Lumumba’s casket arrived on Sunday.
The only thing left of the young academic and nationalist politician, whose life and career were cut short in a shadowy war for power and control of the country’s resources in central Africa, is a single tooth.
According to Joseph Anganda, Executive of the Congolese national movement, “(Patrice) Lumumba) is someone who gave political awakening to the Congo, not only to fight for independence but also for the future. He had a vision of making the Congo a united country and a strong country.
The former Belgian Congo’s first prime minister after independence was laid to rest in his home village before continuing on its commemorative journey. Lumumba was put to death in this place in January 1961, four months after his brief tenure as president came to an end.
“According to His Excellency the Prime Minister, Shilatembo is a drama-filled location. He (Patrice Lumumba) had his ideals, but they didn’t go away, therefore these people were incorrect. This is where they decided to finish him off, to kill him. I cried the entire time we were on the journey “says Lubumbashi resident Kumel kumelundu Kasongo.
According to Josaphat Sungu, a fellow Lubumbashi inhabitant, “…what we can remember about Lumumba is that he is a national hero and that he taught us unity and peaceful cohesiveness,….
After his death, Lumumba’s body was dissolved in acid, but a Belgian policeman retained one of his teeth as a memento. In 2016, Belgian officials took the artifact away from his daughter. The ceremonial burial will take place in Kinshasa on June 30, which is Independence Day.
