MISISA YA AFRIKA

Between 1965 and 1997, Field Marshal Joseph Desiré Mobutu reigned over the Central African nation of Zaire- present day Democratic Republic of Congo. History has depicted his regime as a dictatorship and a kleptocracy with alarming and unprecedented levels of corruption. Over a series of two episodes, we seek to revisit this stage in DRC's history and attempt to discuss through more objective lenses, the person of Mobutu, his reign and its impact. Part two delves into the period leading up to his downfall in 1997. K. M. Bwiranda discusses the corruption, coup attempts and foreign politicians that came to define the reign of the Great Helmsman.

Between 1965 and 1997, Field Marshal Joseph Desiré Mobutu reigned over the Central African nation of Zaire- present day Democratic Republic of Congo. History has depicted his regime as a dictatorship and a kleptocracy with alarming and unprecedented levels of corruption. Over a series of two episodes, we seek to revisit this stage in DRC's history and attempt to discuss through more objective lenses, the person of Mobutu, his reign and its impact. Part one delves into the birth and growth of 'Great Helmsman' in Belgian Congo, the coming of independence, his rise to power and his consolidation between 1965 and 1975.

In 1986, 30 year old fishmonger turned spirit medium Alice Auma alias Alice Lakwena, raised an army in Uganda's Acholi region to end the chaos plaguing the region and the country. Believing that the spirit Lakwena's blessings and shea butter concoction made them bulletproof, her Holy Spirit Movement marched south towards Kampala. Alice Auma remains a polarizing figure in Ugandan years after her defeated in October 1987.

In this mini-episode, we explore the meaning and ideological roots of MISISA YA AFRIKA, emphasizing the value of understanding and appreciating African political history.