January 16th is a holiday in the Congo. It celebrates the death of Laurent Kabila, past president of the Congo and the father of the current President. He was the last in a long line of Presidents of the Congo who were deposed or killed while in office. KasaVubu, Patrice Lumumba, Mobutu all met quite terrible ends. Each year on the anniversary of Kabila's death they allow people to view his home, which has been left just as is was the day he was killed. Since our entertainment is sparse, we had Aime take us to the "marble palace." Aime is anattorney,who is also a magistrate, but currently has no job in the courts. He works on contract part-time for the mission as our driver when we're nervous about getting lost or in trouble.
We waited outside the house by the huge cement statue of a lion. When the guards finally opened the gates, we were allowed to walk single file down the long driveway to the house. They had a display of pictures of Papa Kabila during his short term as president. Then we went into the grand salon where he was killed. It has been left just as it was on the day of his murder. They have his clothes and even the blood and bullets haven't been removed from the chair where he was killed. He was working with one of his advisers, who rather suddenly got up and left the room. Just as he did armed military entered and shot Kabila. The adviser had been in on the plot to kill him. No one lives in the house now, but Kabila's wife stays there when she visits from Lubumbashi.. Just down the hill from this house is the house of the current president's brother. It's huge and guarded with military too.
We asked somebody what Kabila's brother did for a living to have such a big, beautiful home. He gave us a funny look and said, "He's the brother of the President." I guess it's nice work if you can get it!
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