Share

DRC universities urge Kabila to step aside

Several universities in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday signed a petition against President Joseph Kabila running for a third term in office later this year.

University professors and staff signed the document calling Kabila's candidacy in the December polls "an unacceptable offence of high treason against the nation and the state" following months of heavily repressed protests calling for the long-time leader to stand aside.

"It's about trying to stop the constitution being tampered with in our country," said Georges Kapiamba, president of the Congolese Association for Access to Justice and one of the petition's organisers.

Kabila, who took over from his assassinated father in 2001, presides over a country with a history of corruption, poor governance and armed conflict.

He was obligated to step down at the end of 2016 after he reached his two-term limit, but a constitutional clause allowed him to remain in office until his successor is elected.

* Sign up to News24's top Africa news in your inbox: SUBSCRIBE TO THE HELLO AFRICA NEWSLETTER

FOLLOW News24 Africa on Twitter and Facebook

Elections that should have been held that year were rescheduled for 2017, and postponed again to 2018.

He is yet to state whether or not he intends to stay on.

Candidates for the December 23 presidential election must declare their bid between July 25 and August 1.

"We hope that president Kabila will say clearly that he will not run in the presidential election, wish good luck to his successor and reassure us that he will guarantee the proper organisation of the vote," said Alphonse-Daniel Ntumba Luaba, a law professor and a former justice minister in the vast, mineral-rich state.

At the end of 2017 and early this year, anti-Kabila demonstrations organised by Roman Catholics led to a violent crackdown by security forces, with a total of at least 15 dead reported around the country.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 457 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 653 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.0%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.41
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.33
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.0%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
+1.3%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE