The family of legendary Congolese guitarist Lokassa ya Mbongo say they are going through “unbearable pain” and “humiliation” as they wait for government help to bury him almost seven months after his death.
Lokassa ya Mbongo, a famous musician from Congo, wanted to be buried in his home country. But his body has been in a morgue in the capital city, Kinshasa, for seven months. His son, André Marie Lokassa, said the government promised to help with a proper funeral, but hasn’t. A charity mentioned family disagreements causing the delay. The government was asked for $75,000 for the funeral, but hasn’t approved it. The family feels embarrassed and stressed. The morgue bill is already over $4,000. They hope to bury him by mid-October, even without government help. Lokassa ya Mbongo passed away at 77 due to diabetes and stroke complications. He was a famous guitarist in DR Congo and led bands in Paris and Ivory Coast. Some of his well-known songs are “Bonne Annee,” “Monica,” “Marie-Josse,” “Lagos Night,” and “Nairobi Night.” He moved to the US in 1996 and passed away there in March. His body was brought back to DR Congo the next month.
The delay in Lokassa ya Mbongo’s funeral isn’t because of the government, according to a charity called Artist in Danger. They say it’s because of disagreements within the musician’s family about who should lead the plans. The head of the group, Tsaka Kongo, explained that the family needs to sort out their differences and let the government take charge of the burial. They offered to help, but the family wanted to handle it themselves. They hope a solution is found soon.
This situation is similar to what happened with another musician, Saak Sinatra Sakul, earlier this year. His family wanted government help, but they ended up burying him on their own because they were worried about his body. Some other musicians in Congo have also faced long delays before their burials. Lokassa’s niece, Nicole Londala, blames the government, saying they still haven’t kept their promise to pay for the funeral. They were hoping it could be done in a few days, but it’s been a long wait since April. It’s been really hard for the family.
SOURCE:BBC