Opposition figure and former Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito officially kicked off his campaign for the presidential elections scheduled for December 20th. While his competitors organize rallies in various cities, Muzito has chosen a strategy of “proximity” with his electorate.
Having toured several neighborhoods in the capital, Muzito made a stop at the Ngaba market in the southern part of Kinshasa to engage with local traders. Descending onto muddy terrain in an unsanitary environment, he was greeted by slogans. “Since you left, the franc has depreciated,” chanted a few dozen Kinois encountered by the former head of government.
“They expect a lot from me because they have a history with me. During my tenure, the dollar was at 900 FC, and today it has tripled. Mothers want my return, men too. Market vendors want me back in power to stabilize the national currency. That’s what I believe I can accomplish if they give me the majority, as they promise,” declared the candidate on-site.
At the Selembao stage along the same route, the opposition leader unveiled his most ambitious project for Kinshasa—expanding the habitable spaces of the currently overcrowded city. “This is the map of Kinshasa,” he explained, noting that 90% of people live in shanties. “They are flooded. It’s a city without roads and full of traffic jams, what I call hell in paradise. Although the city covers approximately 10,000 km2, only 2,000 km2 are inhabited,” observed the candidate.
He added, “We believe there is a way to relocate 10 million out of 20 million Kinois to a part of Maluku to try to relieve the population and leave at least 6,000 square kilometers for agriculture.”
To fund his ambitious project, the opposition leader plans to allocate a budget of 300 billion over ten years, relying on increased tax pressure and borrowing.