CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
|
Congo-Brazzaville |
SOCIAL CONDIT.
t’s no easy matter to make the river crossing between Brazzaville and Kinshasa by boat. Ferry operators, porters, policemen, robbers, all compete with one another to stealI
It’s 2.p.m. on 9 October. Under a tropical heatwave, Kinshasa’s Ngobila landing stage is bustling with its usual crowd of people. The Brazzaville ferry is crammed with people and enormous packages. There seems to be no end to the number of passengers embarking and the amount of cargo being loaded, which makes one fear a repetition of Senegal’s Diola disaster.
Passengers lacking the necessary travel documents take advantage of the last-minute hustle and bustle before departure, to slip on board. «Helping» them are border guards who ensure their smooth passage aboard (in return for an appropriate «fee»), together with young men who look like official porters, but who are in fact porters, escape agents and thieves, all rolled into one. You meet up with them at both Kinshasa’s and Brazzaville’s landing stages. The final moments before departure are a windfall for these gentlemen as they’ve every opportunity to steal from the passengers. Once they’ve reaped their harvest, some jump into the River Congo to have another go on unsuspecting travellers a little higher up the river.
As soon as an escape agent sees somebody coming who wants to make the crossing, he sidles up to the unsuspecting traveller and offers his services, assuring the poor victim that that’s the only way to cope with the pre-embarkation formalities — where a veritable law of the jungle prevails. He then requests the passenger’s identity papers, saying he’ll look after everything. At the same time, he politely asks for money to buy the ticket and personally accompanies the traveller to the boat after due negotiations with the police. But as one passenger who’d put his faith in an escape agent and who’d been waiting ages to get on the boat puts it: «You can never be sure that all the formalities have been completed correctly».
Jeannette is a trader and frequently crosses from one side of the river to the other, so she knows all the tricks of the trade. However, she admits that on previous occasions she’s been «had» by people who say they’ll «help» her. She explains: «These so-called escape agents know all about extorting money from people unaccustomed to this world of swindlers — guys who say they’re only there to help. For example, one will tell you: “You’ve got to add a bit more to my regular fee so I can pass it on to the escape agent who’ll be looking after you. If you don’t, you’ll have major problems when you arrive on the other side”. Then they’ll introduce you to somebody who’se their buddy but who’ll do nothing to help you».
Police accomplices
These con-men have been operating on the beaches of both Congos for a number of years. Everyone knows them and is aware that they’re in cahoots with the police who drum up business for them. And the port authorities of both countries turn a blind eye to what’s going on.
Let’s go on board a ferry. Here’s a handicapped woman covered in sweat who’se finally managed to get on board, «helped» by a «porter» who keeps badgering her for more money. «Go away», she says. «I’ve already paid you. I’ve also paid all the officials who wanted to stop me getting on board. I’ve no more money». Just behind her, there’s another woman arguing with a «porter». He wasn’t quick enough in loading all her goods and the boat’s already left the landing stage leaving some of her property on the dock, so she’s refusing to pay him. She turns to her fellow travellers: «These people are nothing better than robbers. This fellow’s left some of my goods behind and he’s expecting me to pay him. I’m the one who’ll be the loser if my property is stolen».
Then there’s this fifty-year old, an experienced traveller, who proclaims to all and sundry: «If you don’t want to be robbed, hold on tight to your belongings. If somebody hustles against you, watch out because they’re pushing people against each other to make stealing easier. And the police stand by and do nothing». And he looks meaningfully at a foreigner who nearly had his travelling bag stolen. «Especially, never take the Congolese boat which is called “The Big Ferry”. It’s the worst of the lot. Only poor people travel on it. If you have the money, it’s better to take the fast boat. It’s a little more expensive: 11,000 CFA francs for a one-way ticket, but at least one’s left in peace. There’s hardly anyone on board. It’s much better than having to put up with these conditions for 4,500 CFA francs».
The «porters»
Marien is a «porter» from Brazzaville. He says that not all his colleagues are swindlers. «Personally, I’ve never stolen from passengers I’m looking after. After all, it’s my livelihood. Those who do it are nothing better than thieves. They’re the ones who get us a bad name».
An unsuccessful attempt has been made to organise these young people into associations. An immigration officer from Brazzaville, suggests: «The only way to stop the hanky-panky on Kinshasa’s and Brazzaville’s beaches is to chase these young people away. The ferry companies should then organize their own handling services». Efforts have been made at Kinshasa’s Ngobila landing stage to install some kind of order. «But», says Godefroid, a young journalist from Kinshasa, «Chase them away and they’re quickly back».
On 14 October, Congo RDC‘s Transport Minister, Joseph Olengankoy, visited his counterpart in Congo-Brazzaville, Isidore Mvouba. They discussed how to improve travel conditions between the two capital cities. But will any top-level decisions be carried out lower down? It remains to be seen.