People close to Kinshasa Governor Andre Kimbuta have come out in force to defend him against the allegations made by the person charged with murdering provincial MP Botethi. They are convinced that the Governor is the victim of a conspiracy which aims to destabilize the provincial institutions. For Kimbuta therefore, a resignation is not on the agenda.

The MLC, the political party of the late Daniel Botethi, said that although Andre Kimbuta name has come up in the criminal proceedings, he enjoys a presumption of innocence. However, the MLC believes that the Governor of Kinshasa should resign so that he is not able to obstruct the work of the court. The PPRD, Kimbuta's political party, prefers letting the military court do its work and severely punish those responsible.

Today, the court hearings being held in Ngaliema will be moved to the location where Daniel Botethi, the vice-president of the Provincial Parliament of Kinshasa, lost his life on Sunday, July 6th.

This trial has received a lot more attention since one of the suspected killers accused Governor Andre Kimbuta of ordering the murder. There has been a strong public reaction to these allegations. All weekend-long, those supporting Kimbuta came out in force trying to demonstrate that the claims made by Patrick Mwewa are totally unfounded.

Their attacks are aimed at the accuser, Patrick Mwewa, who is said to be a repeat offender and career criminal. They say that Mwewa is a cold blooded killer who didn't hesitate to kill a young and brilliant provincial member of parliament. They argue that Patrick Mwewa has made contradictory statements before and that ?Mwewa will have to say where and when he saw the Governor and how he was able to to link the Mr. Kady and the Governor".

Those close to Kimbuta have advised him to press charges against Mr. Mwewa for defamation. Kimbuta and his entourage are pushing a conspiracy theory.

But where would the conspiracy come from? They point to the political parties which are asking the Governor to resign before the verdict of the Military Tribunal. An allusion to the MLC which asked on Saturday, July 19, that Kimbuta make himself available to the court so that he won't be able to obstruct the proceedings.

The MLC does not want to give Kimbuta time to use his powers to prevent the Military Tribunal from doing its work properly. In the entourage of the Governor, there is a different reading. "All these comments make us think that it is not only a conspiracy against the Governor but also an attempt to destabilize the institutions of the Capital."

People close to the governor won't rule out the hypothesis that some conspirators could even be from his own political family. One asked, "Indeed, is it necessary to remind you what a huge surprise the election of Kimbuta as the head of the city of Kinshasa was to everyone and the relentless attempts by his so-called friends to make him fall into their traps?". The PPRD, in any case, has made its position clear. The Military Tribunal must do its job to the end. The culprits must be punished.

But for now, there are no plans to push Andre Kimbuta to resign. It will be business as usual in the governor's office.

No motives

Those close to Kimbuta say that he had no motives to kill Daniel Botethi. Andre Kimbuta is Governor, the Chief Executive of the province and Daniel Botethi before his death was the 1st Vice-President of the Provincial Assembly. One could not have assumed the position of the other. In addition, Kimbuta has managed to retain a majority in the Provincial Assembly. The bills he sends to the Assembly are passed without problem and his five-year plan continues its normal course. Moreover, the deceased and the Governor are said to be related.

Most on the streets of Kinshasa think that Patrick Mwewa must prove his allegations, the Governor must prove he is innocent, and the Military Tribunal must apply the law.


Translated by CongoPlanet.com | Original article in French