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🇨🇩 DR Congo /Elections & Politics

Lubumbashi consultations to be presented first to President Tshisekedi

From Radio Okapi · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Raphaël Katebe Katoto concluded consultations in Lubumbashi on August 1, gathering concerns from various community groups.
  • He stated that the findings would be presented first to President Félix Tshisekedi, emphasizing the consultations' aim to understand local realities.
  • Katebe Katoto dismissed political motivations, asserting his focus was on community issues like security and coexistence, not electoral politics.

Raphaël Katebe Katoto expressed satisfaction with his consultations in Lubumbashi, which concluded on August 1, after engaging with diverse segments of the Haut-Katanga population. He reported gathering numerous concerns and announced that the "primeur", the first disclosure, of the results would be reserved for President Félix Tshisekedi.

My approach was to go to the bottom to better understand the community's problems. The community's problems are its daily life, security, coexistence.

— Raphaël Katebe KatotoKatebe Katoto explained the purpose of his consultations in Lubumbashi, highlighting his focus on understanding local issues.

Speaking at a press conference in Lubumbashi, Katebe Katoto explained that his initiative was driven by a desire to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by the province's residents. He met with various social, cultural, and community actors, identifying key issues such as security and inter-community coexistence as pressing concerns. "My approach was to go to the bottom to better understand the community's problems. The community's problems are its daily life, security, coexistence," he stated.

I have the grievances, I have the memos presented by the components. I will present them to the Head of State to whom I reserve the first look.

— Raphaël Katebe KatotoKatebe Katoto stated his intention to present the collected concerns and documents exclusively to the President of the Republic.

Katebe Katoto confirmed receiving several memorandums and grievance lists from these meetings. "I have the grievances, I have the memos presented by the components. I will present them to the Head of State to whom I reserve the first look," he declared.

Today, the change of construction is not yet current. I did not come for that. I came for the community.

— Raphaël Katebe KatotoKatebe Katoto dismissed political motivations for his visit, emphasizing his focus on community welfare rather than electoral matters.

He explicitly rejected interpretations suggesting a political agenda behind his consultations. Katebe Katoto clarified that his visit was not about upcoming political events but about listening to the population's needs. "Today, the change of construction is not yet current. I did not come for that. I came for the community," he asserted. He believes that addressing the identified problems falls under the purview of the competent authorities, particularly the president. The consultations, which began on July 30, involved civil society members, religious representatives, youth leaders, women, cultural associations, and political figures.

What solutions will he find, because he is the head of the nation, the one who decides.

— Raphaël Katebe KatotoKatebe Katoto deferred the responsibility for finding solutions to the community's problems to the President of the Republic.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Radio Okapi in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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