Unauthentic
What I have also
observed with some Congolese elite that I have visited and befriended is that,
they are very unauthentic. On the advice of one of my Congolese friend, I did
at some points, began limiting the expression of what I honestly thought on
Television and on Radio or even on social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter
and Viber. Clearly speaking, I started self censorship. In other words, I
became a hypocrite, just like most Congolese politicians and elite are. I
became like them: shallow in my thoughts and utterances, because I wanted to
please. Paradoxically, it did not prevent them from expelling me.
Rules in
Congo: Flattery and
French courtesy
One golden
rule in Congo is that, it is proscribe to tell the truth, in particular to the
governing elite. It explains why the country is full of professional liars. To
survive in Congo, you must lie or shower the elite with excessive praise, in
behaving that way, you are assured to win their favour. I have personally tried the experience and it
has succeeded. Whenever I visited a friend who belonged to what I generally
referred to as the “happy few” or “its governing elite”, I played “the
Congolese ways”. That is, tell my host what he wanted to hear. However, there
were occasions and people to whom I could honestly speak what I thought. But it
was reserved only to elite that I had known for a very long while and whom, I
must have tested and discovered that, he/she can take praise as well as
criticisms. Alain Akouala, Clement Mierassa, Raymond Zephirin Mboulou and
Bienvenu Okiemy are the only close Congolese elite that I know who accepted
honest appraisals: positive and negative. And the second rule in Congo is,
always to rain praises or flattery on your interlocutor, in particular, if
he/she is a minor or major actor within the governing elite. Objectivity
is alien to those currently governing the country. Another observation that
supports the fact that, most Congolese elite, in particular males, loves praise
and little critics is this: whenever a Congolese government minister grants an interview to
the Press, especially to Radio France international, he/she will call all his/her
collaborators around and ask them to give their impressions. The responses
expected must all be positive, for any contrary comments attract the rage of
the minister and also the risk of loss of employment. That is why; Congolese
authorities and government officers always make strategic mistakes, because
there are no rooms for those hired as advisers to express sincerely what they
really think. As a consequence, most keep their opinions to themselves for fear
of losing their jobs and privileges.
Experience (1)
I once
visited a government minister who was living in the heart of the city of
Brazzaville and in keeping with the advice of my Congolese friend, when I
arrived at the minister’s house and was given a seat, I sat down. When I was
comfortably seated, I sensed that, the minister was preparing to go out. Where
was he going to? That I can’t tell, but I told him: “Sir, you are well dressed”.
Immediately, he smiled from ear to ear. And, strangely, a man who looked as
though he was in hurry to leave when I came in suddenly went into slow motion, and
he replied: “I have spent most of my life in Paris, the global capital of
fashion. That explains why I make sure am always well dressed and in a trendy
manner.” And he went on: “I am not like the other minister who is a railway
trade unionist and a communist, who studied in the former Soviet Union”. Then,
after our conversation, I don’t know whether, he really wanted to go out or he simply
wanted to show me his latest suit from Paris, he went into his room, changed
and don a new suit. He behaved as if he was in a dress rehearsal for a male
fashion parade.
Show and tell
The way the
latter mentioned government minister reacted is a well known attribute of
Congolese elite: show and tell. Most of them are also very pretentious. Congolese elite like to dress well and take
good care of their physic by buying expensive perfumes and also sadly, use
bleaching creams to whiten up. Remember this rule, which must not be neglected
in Congo: you must constantly compliment Congolese elite and never criticize
him/her, if you want to have any favors. The other brand of Congolese elite is
that, his dresses won’t be given any consideration, if they are not bought in
France. That is, his suits, tie, shirt and shoes. This concerns not only the
top alpha male but also women belonging to the “happy few circles”.
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