Kananga, January 4th, 2022 (CPA).- The President of the Republic, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, called on the population of Tshikapa, in the province of Kasai, to take ownership of the grassroots development program, started by the government for the benefit of 145 territories of the Republic, in its address Monday, to the inhabitants of this city, which it is visiting for the first time since its elevation to the supreme magistracy. For the Head of State, this visit constitutes the fulfillment of his 2018 electoral promise, to bring them back to power once conquered. “I have not left you, although I am physically far from you, I carry you in my heart. During the 2018 election campaign, I promised to return to power; today I bring it back to you”, he said, adding that the slight delay observed in the realization of this commitment is attributed to a certain number of constraints, in particular the difficult cohabitation with his partner“ FCC ”, but also the fight he had to face to restore the country’s tarnished image on the international level. « Today, the Congolese are really free to manage their territorial space without external constraints », he noted, before welcoming the reception one could not more delusional reserved for him. While thanking the Almighty God for the grace he has bestowed upon him in elevating him to the supreme office of the DRC, President Félix Tshisekedi maintained that the efforts made by his government to eradicate terrorism in the east of the countries, testify to its determination to protect the entire Congolese territory from this scourge. « I know your sufferings, which can be summed up in terms of the lack of drinking water and electricity, and I have come to feel them with my finger and come up with the solutions which are necessary », the Head of State added. before condemning early marriage and violence against girls.
On this occasion, he also gave young people the opportunity to speak at the microphone to pose the crucial problems concerning them. Before leaving Tshikapa, the President of the Republic granted audiences to various personalities representative of all social strata of the capital of Kasai province. His arrival, in the middle of the day, was a great moment for this population, in turmoil, not hiding its unconditional admiration for « Mfumu a Ditunga ». The province of Kasai is a new province resulting from the dismemberment of the former province of Kasai Occidental.
Forfeiture of mining titles not in order
The President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, during this same address, promised to get personally involved in the forfeiture of mining titles not in order. “I have followed your complaints. We are going to study ways and means so that mining titles that are not in order are forfeited.
I have to personally get involved,”he responded to the crowd’s complaints. It should be noted that in Tshikapa, the capital of Kasai, mining squares are occupied by people without titles. These untitled people deny the local population access to mineral resources such as diamonds. The majority of the perimeters held by individuals are unexploited and not in order with the law. The national deputy Guy Mafuta, elected from Tshikapa, had in March 2020, called on the Minister of Mines to revoke mining titles not in order, in a written question that he had tabled in the National Assembly. For him, these unexploited perimeters must be removed by an order of the Minister of Mines. « Which order has never been made since the last census in 2016. The forfeiture must be pronounced and these exclusive perimeters must be transformed into artisanal mining areas to allow local populations and diggers to access these resources on their land. We must also reduce the cost of licensing cooperatives to fight against illegal exploitation of minerals, « he said. This approach, according to the deputy Mafuta, aims to benefit upstream the diamond to the population of Tshikapa. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has a deficit in artisanal mining zones (ZEA). As a result, the local populations very often exploit illegally under permits duly allocated to mining companies, giving rise to conflicts between artisanal miners and industrialists. ACP/
