Thérèse Kapangala: A Tragic Tale of Sacrifice and Struggle
Thérèse Kapangala, a young woman struck by a bullet during a repressed protest against the change in the constitution on January 21, 2018, under the rule of former President Joseph Kabila, will forever be remembered as one of the many who fought for democracy in the DRC. Seven years after her murder alongside the then opposition, now in power, and the Catholic Church at the parish of Saint-François-de-Sales in Kinshasa, the significance of her struggle remains etched in the collective memory, with tributes to her soul still being paid.
Emotional Commemoration of a Brave Woman
On Monday, January 21, 2025, during a memorial mass marking 7 years since her assassination at the same spot where she was gunned down, emotions ran high among her family members, religious figures, politicians, and others who gathered in large numbers. In his sermon, Father Destin Basonga, who presided over the mass, likened Thérèse Kapangala’s death to that of many martyrs of the early church, who were killed in the name of the truth of the gospel of Christ they fearlessly defended. Amidst the sorrowful atmosphere, with the deceased’s mother bursting into tears, Father Destin Basonga spoke of a death orchestrated by the “unbridled thirst for power” of the past regime.
A Call for Justice and Accountability
Her younger brother, Jean-Claude Kapangala, leading an organization called Génération Thérèse Kapangala, appreciated the presence of politicians at the event, including Martin Fayulu, before expressing his disappointment at the current government’s persistence in amending the constitution, a move that claimed several lives during Kabila’s era. He called for a trial against the police officer who shot his sister. “I believe that some people don’t think in this country. I can’t understand how the same individuals who opposed the constitutional amendment yesterday still support this initiative in their moment of glory. I also regret that in the 6 years they have been in power, no trial has been initiated to seek justice for my sister,” sighed Jean-Claude Kapangala.
Thérèse Déchade Kapangala was shot in the heart by a police bullet and did not survive. This incident took place amidst anti-government protests organized by the Lay Coordination Committee (CLC). Aspiring to join the Congregation of the Holy Family of Bergamo as a nun in July of the same year, her family filed a complaint in February 2018 against the deputy divisional commissioner Sylvano Kasongo, who was then the provincial commissioner of Police/Kinshasa, but to no avail. On that same day, at least 5 people were killed by live ammunition. A tragic loss that serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made in the pursuit of democracy and justice in the DRC.