Pretoria - Civil rights movement #NotInMyName has expressed outrage after members of its Pan-African Desk, who are part of the Banyamulenge community from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) living in South Africa, were allegedly clobbered by security officials at their embassy in Pretoria.
#NotInMyName secretary general Themba Masango told IOL that the two men, Richard Mukata and Jean-Claude Sibomama, had gone to the DRC Embassy to apply for passports.
“The Congolese nationals, Richard and Jean-Claude, aimed to apply for their passports and had fulfilled all requirements to visit the embassy, including prior and approved appointments.
“Instead… the two were attacked in… (full) view of all officials, and sustained injuries because of their ethnic affiliation – being members of the Banyamulenge community,” said Masango.
“It is disconcerting that this is a second attack and that this issue was previously raised with the Congolese Embassy in South Africa as well as the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco).”
Police spokesperson in Gauteng Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said police were investigating the incident.
“Police can confirm that a case of common assault was opened at Pretoria Central police station and an investigation is under way,” Masondo said.
The leader of the Banyamulenge Community living in South Africa, Chantal Mabeyi, said the vicious attack on Mukata and Sibomama was not an isolated incident.
“These attacks are not isolated but they reflect the persecution of the Banyamulenge in the DRC. The Banyamulenge territories in South Kivu have completely been destroyed, culminating in thousands of civilians killed; more than 300 villages burnt to ashes; and their cattle, estimated at around 400 000, looted by local and foreign militias.
“Demonising campaigns have exacerbated the level of extreme violence, leading to lynching the Banyamulenge and eating parts of the victim’s body,” said Mabeyi.
Mabeyi’s deputy Cleaophas Nganire told IOL that his people, the Banyamulenge, were distressed back home and abroad.
“The Banyamulenge people are Africans, they are Congolese people who stay mainly in South Kivu province, that is the east of the country, Congo. They are from the Tutsi tribe….
“We were in Congo before white people named the country Congo, that was before the Berlin Conference. We were in Congo in the 15th century,” said Nganire.
“The other Congolese people do not believe that we are Congolese because they always tell us that we must go back to Rwanda because, to them, we are Rwandese. My ancestors never came from Rwanda, they came from Burundi before the 15th century.
“The Banyamulenge, who are in Rwanda, are mostly in refugee camps, so we are not accepted in Congo, we are not accepted in Rwanda because, to them, we are Congolese and we, who are in South Africa, are refugees. We fled the country because we were dying. Briefly, almost 90% of the Banyamulenge in South Africa are refugees.”
IOL