Lubumbashi, June 3rd, 2026 (CPA).- A calm has been observed on Wednesday in several neighbourhoods and strategic locations in the city of Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga province, in the south-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, despite the call for a ‘dead city’ issued by the opposition across the entire country, CPA has noticed. ‘The traffic is completely normal. People are turning up at bus stops and using public transport as usual. There were certainly some concerns at the start of the day; some drivers were calling us to check before leaving home, but now almost everyone is here and work has been proceeding normally since the early hours of the morning,” has declared Odia Kibambe, the provincial inspector in charge of discipline at bus stations.
For his part, Kipampe Patrick, administrator of the Mzee Laurent Desire Kabila central market, has indicated that “I am pleased to report that today, the situation at the Mzee market is calm. The market is open as usual, vendors and traders are on site, and sales are proceeding without any difficulties.” “The market is apolitical, and we vendors are focused on earning our daily bread to provide for our children. We are working as usual despite calls for a general dead city. You can see how the goods are laid out on the various stalls and the atmosphere is normal,” he has said. For his part, Israel Muteba, a driver met at the Meteo stop, has explained that since 7 am, he had already made several trips across the city.
“So far, nothing alarming has been observed and people are carrying on with their activities as normal.” At the various locations visited, public transport users, shopkeepers and workers were visible, each going about their usual business freely. A few minor traffic jams were even observed on some busy roads.
The day of June 3rd had been announced as a moment of strong political mobilisation, with the opposition calling on the population to observe a ‘dead city’ day to protest against the proposed constitutional revision and the referendum bill, whilst the authorities and the majority had urged citizens to carry on with their activities as normal, it is reported. At the start of the day, no incidents have been reported so far in the areas visited in Lubumbashi.