Kinshasa, April 14th, 2025 (CPA) – Severe sanctions have been announced for civil servants responsible for fraudulent building permits in non-edificandi zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a press release seen by the CPA on Sunday. ‘The Ministry of Urban Planning and Housing has announced that civil servants responsible for fraudulent building permits in unauthorized areas will face severe sanctions, up to and including dismissal,’ read the statement from the Ministry of Urban Planning and Housing. The decision was taken during a crisis meeting with officials from his administration to assess the recent flooding in Kinshasa. According to the document, the areas strictly classified as non aedificandi zones due to their vulnerability to flooding are the bay of Ngaliema, along the Ndjili, Lukunga, Kalamu, Bitshaku Tshaku, Basoko, Makelele, Gombe and Socopao rivers in Limete, as well as the Ndanu district. According to the press release, a circular will be issued shortly to prohibit all construction in these problematic areas. It also notes that an inter-ministerial commission is actively involved in monitoring anarchic construction, with the rigorous application of the July 2024 decree. The source indicated that the Minister for Town Planning has insisted that the decisions taken concerning the ban on issuing town planning notices on public rights of way be strictly applied in the various zones previously identified.
Cooperation from certain agencies recommended
The collaboration of certain agencies was recommended, such as the Waterways management, Regideso, the city of Kinshasa, Infrastructure and public works, Land affairs, to clean out the gutters blocked by plastic waste and dredge the rivers, the press release revealed. The source also stressed the importance of educating the public on the proper management of waste in order to protect the environment, and of conducting a campaign to raise awareness among the population of the need to comply with town-planning standards.ACP/