Reply To: The 57th Anniversary of the Independence

[Congo]

Minister of Higher and University Education, Steve Mbikayi Mabuluki returned to the country on Saturday, August 26, via the N’djili International Airport in Kinshasa. The Minister of ESU spent two weeks in the United States where he was on an official mission. As soon as he arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Minister first spoke about his mission, but also gave his point of view regarding the strike of university professors. Regarding his mission, the Minister said reserved primeur to his hierarchy, especially Prime Minister Bruno Tshibala. On the subject of the teachers’ strike, Steve Mbikayi promised to restart the exchanges in the framework of the permanent dialogue to find lasting solutions to the problems that specially concern his sector.
After several days of absence in the country, the Minister of Higher Education and University, Steve Mbikayi, has returned to Kinshasa since last Saturday. Responding warmly to the problem of strike in his sector, the Minister, on board, welcomed the good faith of professors who did not disrupt the closing of the academic year before promising to resume discussions with them With respect to claims that are directly dependent on its sector. He took this opportunity to ask the various management committees to finalize the deliberation in order to help the students to know their fate and especially to prepare well for the second session.
From the mission to the United States
Motivated by the desire to build new public universities, the Minister of ESU works in line with the vision of the Head of State. To materialize this desire, Steve Mbikayi is looking for partners. “I reserve the prime of the report of my mission to the Prime Minister. Following the guidelines received from the Head of State under the coordination of the Prime Minister, we are looking for ways and means to modernize our Higher Education and University sector and especially to obtain the construction of new Public Universities in our country. It was in this context that we met with the partners outside, things are evolving very well. I believe that in a few months we will see the beginning of a few things. But as I said, I will first report to the Prime Minister before I can reveal the content of my mission and also the steps that we will take in order to be able to modernize our teaching more. Construction of universities that should exceed those we have acquired from our colonizers, “he said.
Radicalization of the strike
Steve Mbikayi arrives at the moment when the strike is radicalized in its sector. Without going by the back of the spoon, he began by thanking the professors who did not want to disrupt the closing of the academic year when they could do it well. He also promised to revive, very quickly, exchanges with teachers to find solutions on issues that depend on his sector. “First, I salute the patriotism of university professors who did not want to disrupt the closing of the academic year because they could do it well. And they made legitimate demands, exercised their right to strike and understood that students should not be penalized, I congratulate them. Now that I am back, I think we will reopen the dialogue with them to see how quickly we can find solutions to issues that concern my sector, “the Minister said on his return.
As for the rest, it must be acknowledged that it is a general question of all workers that will certainly find solutions at the level of the central Government.