Kinshasa, June 10th, 2026 (CPA).- A call for the restoration of mutual oversight was made on Wednesday in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, by a member of parliament, in order to halt financial leakage, on the third day of a capacity-building seminar for partners of the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF). “This country belongs to us. It harbours the legitimate ambition of achieving emergence. An ambition that depends on a simple equation: restoring mutual oversight to stop financial hemorrhage,” said MP Lambert Mende. The lawmaker made his remarks during a presentation focused on the theme: “Political and administrative organization of the DRC: a retrospective view of relations between the three branches of government.” According to him, the lack of effective separation of powers results in the loss of billions of dollars for the DRC, sixty-six years after independence. “The separation of powers is not merely a matter for jurists. It is above all a matter of billions. It is the real cost of institutional dysfunction,” he stated. He further noted that courts and tribunals, constrained by insufficient resources, weaken the effectiveness of justice, thereby undermining the business climate. “Investors incorporate judicial risk into their business plans. Every delayed court case means GDP that remains idle,” he lamented.
He also praised the IGF, which he described as an “efficient exception” for introducing values conducive to self-centered development, demonstrating that strict public financial control is not a cost but an investment.
The burden of poorly managed decentralization
Mr. Mende also expressed concern over provincial governance, noting that provinces, which were granted autonomy in 2008, are burdened by rising community tensions and widespread corruption. “When local revenues are diverted and projects are stalled, development comes to a halt. Poorly managed decentralization then becomes a cost center,” he stressed.
According to him, weaknesses in the judicial system affect tax collection; just as institutional fragility weakens parliamentary budget oversight. He called on President Félix Tshisekedi to revitalize decentralization, describing it as a major economic imperative with a direct impact on the country’s sovereign credit rating. He also recalled that the 2006 Constitution, as revised in 2011, established safeguards based on the principle that “power checks power.” The executive, parliament and judiciary must mutually control one another through checks and balances to protect both citizens’ rights and public funds.
“This mutual control is a safeguard against despotism and waste,” he concluded.