Katanga: Muyambo-Katumbi, hand in hand!

Katanga: Muyambo-Katumbi, hand in hand!
Kinshasa, May 05, 2009

The winds of revival and development of the Katanga province are already blowing. Proof of that: the determination and will of Katangese leaders to walk hand in hand from now on. This resulted from the training workshop in negotiation, leadership and organized communication in Lubumbashi from April 27 to 30 with the "Initiative for a Cohesive Leadership in DRC", or ILCCE for short. Forty participants, all from different sectors took part in the workshop, selected in effect as leaders in Katanga.

For four days, the participants were enlightened on new techniques of negotiation and the art of communicating in order to find solutions to the problems intrinsic to their province. "It's important for people to come together, communicate and discuss amongst themselves. This is an opportunity for all who have been identified as leaders in Katanga," said the person in charge of ILCCE. Additionally there were, throughout the workshop, moments of exchange and sharing between people who don't usually have the opportunity to mingle and talk. "Our concern is to incite and encourage a sort of winning ticket in the DRC and in this case in the province of Katanga," he concluded.

Was the gamble won? In any case, the echoes coming from the main leader in Katanga are reassuring. Several have attested that Barrister Jean Claude Muyambo and the governor of the province, Moïse Katumbi, lead by example. Given his quite charged agenda, the governor of the province arrived the last day of the workshop, dedicated to a conclusion. And then, above and beyond official protocol, he chose to site at the same table as all of the other participants. Surprise: he is seen next to the former minister of Social Affairs, Jean Claude Muyambo. Until the end of the exercises, the two men didn't leave each other's sides for a second, certainly discussing the way to put into practice the lessons learned. Among the audience, this 'rapprochement' had an effect like wild fire. And not without reason.

Public opinion has always had a tendency to depict these two Katangese leaders as being opposed, one against the other. This was contested by the images and commentary circulated following the workshop. Individuals who declared their support of this event support this inaugural bond of solidarity and love, thus a new era for Katanga. Moïse Katumbi and Jean Claude Muyambo, it's known by all, are among the true leaders of Katanga. Now that they decide to join together, in order to find a new shared vision for the province, the Katanga miracle won't be long in coming. In an ad hoc speech, the Katangese governor expressed his satisfaction that Katanga was honored not only by the quality of the participants but also for the choice of Lubumbashi for the city to host the workshop. "We reflected as a family, on the essential questions for the future and the potential of Katanga," he emphasized. Jean Claude Muyambo stressed the importance of the workshop in Lubumbashi that, on a case by case basis, is esteemed to deal with the problems hampering a liftoff of the copper-rich province, by highlighting the newly learned theories.

In addition to these officials, many others stated their support for the workshop. Faustin Lukonzola said that it was the first time that a meeting brought together such a broad group of important participants to reflect on the future of the province, to approach all relevant questions, even those that made them angry. He committed, like many other participants, to be the force behind the dawn of dynamic national and particularly Katangese politics. The participants agreed to meet at the end of June for a follow-up evaluation.