Mwami Christian Munongo Msiri Mwemera

Mwami Mwemera was born at dawn on the 19th of October, 1955 in Lubumbashi, the capital of Katanga. He was baptized Christian Munongo. Being the first born of Godefroid and Clothilde Munongo, his birth brought a lot of joy to the entire family. On July 11th, 1960, Katanga declared its independence from the Republic of Congo. The United Nations (UN) under pressure from western powers feared the loss of control over the mineral wealth that Katanga harbored. A war broke out between the blue helmets and the Katanga forces. Fearing for the safety of his children, Godefroid Munongo was forced to send Christian and his younger brother Symphorien overseas. Over the next twenty two years, Christian Munongo resided in France where he studied and earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations.

In spite of the many years spent away from home, “Msiri,” the name his father liked to call him, stayed close to his Yeke roots. At the age of twenty seven, Christian Munongo came home to everyone’s delight. He managed the LUFIRA Agro-Business which encompassed maize plantations, transport and projects development. In the mid eighties, Christian ran for a seat in parliament. He led a dignified campaign that took him across the province and all of the rural areas, whose beauty he never stopped relating. He loved Katanga very much, its peoples and its cultural diversity. Christian Munongo did not win the parliamentary seat, but he always cared for the people.

In 1990, the Congolese political scene was changing. Mobutu under the demands of western countries put an end to one party rule and allowed freedom of press. This about-face though predictable after the fall of the Berlin wall, spurred the sovereign national conference. Christian’s father, Godefroid participated and represented the traditional chiefs and Katanga at this conference while Christian worked in the Constitutional Commission. After a long year of arduous work next to his father, Christian learned many political lessons, especially the complexities that arise in a society like the Congolese. Unaware of how events were going to unfold, Christian Munongo continued to apply his political training in the drafting of the new constitution. During this entire decade, he was a de facto advisor to his father, the Mwami Shyombeka Godefroid Munongo.

On the twenty eighth of May, 1992, Godefroid Munongo had a heart attack that killed him shortly after arriving at the Ngaliema Hospital in Kinshasa. Christian Munongo’s destiny changed in an instant. After a period of mourning, the royal counsel, who often meet in restricted settings, decided to include every notable and members of Msiri’s family in the selection process. In all of Bunkeya and the Mayanga (Yeke villages located far from Bunkeya), the population had chosen Christian Munongo. However, certain princes, fearful that their brother’s popularity would influence the Counsel, forced a form of direct democratic vote that took place in front of all the Bayeke and official observers from Lubumbashi and the District.

On this historic day, the many princes and notables, along with all male family members lined up in a single file to vote, under the watchful, yet patient eye of the villagers. After long hours of voting, the ballots were counted in full view in the administrative offices located at the public square called the Milumba. By the end of the afternoon, the counting of ballots was completed and Prince Christian Munongo received the majority of votes. As soon as the villagers heard the news, they leapt in excitement, an excitement that had been pent up for too long.

A few months later, Prince Christian Munongo was enthroned in Bunkeya. As tradition has it, he had to come up with a name that would incarnate his role. He said, “Ng’one Mwemera Milimo”, which means, “I am the continuator…” In so doing, the Mwami Mwemera, in an act of humility was paying homage to his predecessors, whose bodies of work he admired greatly.

Immediately after his enthronement, the Mwami Mwemera took on the task of developing the socio-economic side of the Bwami, as well as safeguarding our culture. All of these duties were initiated by his predecessors. In the same vein, the Mwami Mwemera created the Mwami Msiri Foundation, which to this day, continues to embody his ideals.
Victim to paludism and hospitalized many times in his adult life, the Mwami could not escape this African scourge. In the month of October 1997, the Mwami fell severely ill in Lubumbashi and succumbed to renal failure at the age of 42. He left us one courageous son, Henri Kimba Munongo.

The Mwami Mwemera Christian sat on Msiri’s throne for only five years. All of his dreams for a prosperous, self-sufficient Katanga were interrupted in one fell swoop. However, his optimism and love for our ancestors’ land live on.

Post Script:

Never will I recover from the deaths of my two beloved brothers Christian and Symphorien Munongo. In my 34 years of life, I have lost many of my brethren, who had promising futures ahead of them. Their names, their acumen, their sense of humor, their charm, and their courage will never depart from my memory, for as long as I live. Here, I am thinking about Christian, Symphorien, Bernard Mwenda Munongo, Marcel Kitanika, Isaac (whom I did not know), Marguerite, Michel Mushinkula, Albertine Mutari, Micheline (Michou), Aubain, Lepate, and so many others…
In the face of such loss of life, of men, women, young and each one of them with a God given right to a long life, I can’t help but wonder why…What angel of death, as powerful as they might be, has found refuge in this royal house…Why…
How can the Earth rob us of those who gave us the joie de vivre, those who reminded us that this earth was worth walking on…that this life was worth living…Why…
But, God has given us Mwami Mwenda Bantu Kaneranera, on whom we put all our hopes, our aspirations, courage, and pride.
Christian Munongo is dead, but his embodiment will live on forever.