Tony Mwaba Kazadi, the Minister of Education for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is alleged to have impregnated his Deputy Minister, Aminata Namasia.
In his defense, Kazadi claims that the pregnancy was accidental.
According to The Heritage Times, the two ministers are both married and are said to have been involved in an extramarital affair with each other.
The affair was brought to light by a DRC journalist named Lungila John, who shared the details on Twitter. The revelation of the affair and the pregnancy has sparked a scandal in the DRC and quickly spread across social media, going viral.
However, earlier this month, Namasia dismissed the allegations.
“Beyond my official and public duties, I have a personal life that deserves respect from everyone. It is a right guaranteed to all Congolese citizens by our Constitution. Tarnishing my reputation should not be tolerated. In fact, it could not only harm my own commitments but also the reputation of my married male colleagues and their families,” Namasia was quoted as saying by Fox Times.
“As we approach the upcoming elections scheduled for December this year, political critics are welcome to challenge my political opinions and actions instead of resorting to tactics that aim to defame me.”
It is unclear what the future holds for Kazadi and Namasia. Both politicians haven’t commented on the recent allegations. The DRC government has not yet commented on the situation, and it is possible that both ministers could be fired.
Background
Sama Lukonde, the DRC Prime Minister, appointed Namasia as education minister on April 12, 2021. She joined Tony Mwaba Kazadi who was appointed two months earlier, in February.
Namasia is a lawyer by training, and she has worked in the education sector for many years. She is a member of the DRC’s ruling party, the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD).
At 25, Namisa was the youngest member elected to parliament. She was appointed as a Deputy Minister at the age of 28 in 2021. She is 30.
Kazadi is a businessman and politician. He is also a member of the PPRD. He has served in various government positions, including Minister of State for Planning and Development.
The DRC is a country in Central Africa. It is the second-largest country in Africa by area, and it has a population of over 80 million people.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is scheduled to hold elections in December of this year. In the previous elections held in December 2018, the incumbent, Félix Tshisekedi, emerged as the winner with a total of 7 million votes, which accounted for 38 percent of the overall vote.
He secured victory over his opponents Martin Fayulu and Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, who respectively received 6.4 million and 4.4 million votes.
A total of 38.5 million people registered to vote; however, only 13.3 million individuals actually participated in the voting process. While the elections are set to take place on December 20, 2023, the presidential swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for January 20, 2024.
