Kinshasa: Call to set up an environmental monitoring brigade in Matete

Kinshasa, November 5^th, 2025 (CPA).- A call for the establishment of a special environmental monitoring brigade in Matete, a municipality in central Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, was made on Wednesday to local authorities in response to the resurgence of acts of environmental incivility, according to local sources. ‘Faced with the resurgence of acts of environmental incivility observed during the rainy season, we are calling on the local authorities of the commune of Matete to set up a special environmental monitoring brigade,’ said Sensei Mayele, an activist committed to community welfare. ‘As a prominent figure in Matete and an activist committed to community welfare, I consider this initiative to be a real wake-up call. It calls on not only the municipal authorities, but also those of the city-province of Kinshasa, to take concrete measures to combat environmental incivility during the rainy season,’ he added. According to him, a video shows uncivilized people dumping rubbish during the rain that fell on the city of Kinshasa.  ‘In view of a video showing uncivilized people taking advantage of the rainwater to dump their waste, I suggest that you set up a special brigade whose mission is to protect the environment during the rain,’ he suggested. Mr. Mayele said that this brigade should be well equipped, with clothing suitable for inclement weather, in order to ensure effective work in the field, and should be responsible in particular for registering and identifying all rickshaw drivers operating in all municipalities for better supervision. He recommended dissuasive penalties for recalcitrant uncivilized individuals in order to effectively combat repeat offenders. ‘(…) there should be severe penalties, including imprisonment and a fine of US$1,000, after a public hearing covered by the media. In my opinion, this is the only way to stop this unacceptable behavior,’ he said. Mr. Mayele also called for the establishment of clearly identified public waste disposal sites that are accessible to the population. ‘It would be useful to set up collection points so that residents know where to dispose of their waste. Better still, this waste could be used to produce compost and thus generate income,’ he concluded.ACP/