DRC: President Félix Tshisekedi designates Nkamba a “Holy City”, a significant gesture for the Kimbanguists
President Félix Tshisekedi traveled to Nkamba, the sacred city of Kimbanguism, to celebrate the national day dedicated to Simon Kimbangu. Accompanied by First Lady Denise Nyakeru, he announced a landmark decision: Nkamba officially becomes a “Holy City.”
Before thousands of faithful, the head of state conferred this status on the “New Jerusalem,” as worshippers call their place of worship.
An announcement long awaited, which consecrates Nkamba as a major center of Congolese spirituality.
Before the public ceremony, His Excellency Félix Tshisekedi held a private meeting with Simon Kimbangu Kiangani, the spiritual leader and legal representative of the Kimbanguist church.
A courteous but not insignificant conversation. The president listens, consults, pays tribute. The message is clear: The State recognizes the importance of this religious institution.
The DRC commemorates the memory of Simon Kimbangu, a prophet and resister to Belgian colonization.
Arrested, sentenced to death, he spent thirty years in prison. His fight for Black dignity, for religious freedom, for emancipation, still resonates today.
By making Nkamba a “Holy City,” the Head of State inscribes himself in that memory.
