Mobutu Sese Seko (1930 – 1997)
President of Zaire from 1965 to 1997.
Though you are a young man and you come from a young nation, there are things we can learn from you.
We are resorting to this authenticity in order to rediscover our soul, which colonization had almost erased from our memories and which we are seeking in the tradition of our ancestors.
This man has spoken; he has written, set forth orientation and decrees. The sum total of his actions constitutes Mobutism, just as the sum total of Mao's teachings constitutes Maoism...The President and Founder of the MPR repeats incessantly that a people aiming for greatness should neither repudiate other nations nor copy them.
If you want to steal, steal a little in a nice way. But if you steal too much to become rich overnight, you'll be caught.
Democracy is not for Africa. There was only one African chief and here in Zaire we must make unity.
Treating me as a thief is a grave, unacceptable, intolerable insult which stems from contempt and racist condescension.
We in Zaire spent a lot of time building a strong central state which could resist Soviet aggression quickly and effectively. This enabled us to decisively make the uniform decisions that were necessary to fulfill our national defense obligations and our commitments to the United States.
It takes two to corrupt – the corrupted and the corrupter.
Why should I feed my prisoners when I don't have enough to feed my peasants?
Between a brother and a friend, the choice is clear.
In our religion, we have our own theologians. In all religions, and at all times, there are prophets. Why not today? God has sent a great prophet, our prestigious Guide Mobutu - this prophet is our liberator, our Messiah. Our Church is the MPR. Its chief is Mobutu, we respect him like one respects a Pope. Our gospel is Mobutism. This is why the crucifixes must be replaced by the image of our Messiah. And party militants will want to place at its side his glorious mother, Mama Yemo, who gave birth to such a son.
We know how allergic you are to candor and truth...For fifteen years now we have obeyed you. What have we done, during this time, to be useful and agreeable to you? We have sung, danced, animated, in short, we have been subjected to all sorts of humiliation, all forms of subjugation which even foreign colonization never made us suffer...
After fifteen years of the power you have exercised alone, we find ourselves divided into two absolutely distinct camps. On one side, a few scandalously rich persons. On the other, the mass of people suffering the darkest misery.
Only one man, previously noted for his outstanding services to his country, can assure the well-being of each one of us and create the conditions propitious of the people's moral and spiritual growth, and offer them a common ideal, the feelings of a joint destiny and the knowledge of belonging to one country.
There just is no effective control over the financial transactions of the Presidency; one does not differentiate between official and personal expenses in this office...All endeavors to improve budgetary control in Zaire had to stop short before the operations of the central governing authority: La Présidence!
The corruptive system in Zaire with all its wicked and ugly manifestations, its mismanagement and fraud will destroy all endeavors of international institutions, of friendly governments, and of the commercial banks towards recovery and rehabilitation of Zaire's economy. Sure, there will be new promises by Mobutu, by members of his government, rescheduling and rescheduling again of a growing public debt, but no - repeat - no prospect of Zaire's creditors to get their money back in any foreseeable future.
There was, and there still is, one sole obstacle that negates all prospect: the corruption of the team in power.
The very existence of the Nation was threatened. Threatened on all sides, from the interior and exterior.
From the interior, by the sterile conflicts of politicians who sacrificed the country and their compatriots to their own interests.
Positive non-alignment, or indiscriminate openmindedness to the world, is a fundamental feature of Zaire's foreign policy. To this end, we are exerting ourselves in a bid to promote genuine cooperation among all countries that are willing to accept Zaire for what it is...The debacles that Zaire has faced and continues to face in various areas - colonization, alienation, exploitation, secession, rebellion - are due to the imperialist policies of the superpowers who have assumed the right to govern the world. Thus, we do not want to be involved directly or indirectly in any attempt to subjugate a state or group of states.
Zaire is the country that has been the most heavily exploited in the world. That is why farms, ranches, plantations, concessions, commerce, and real estate agencies will be turned over to sons of the country.
The chief is the chief. He is the eagle who flies high and cannot be touched by the spit of the toad.
The strong ties of friendship between Zaire and the United States endure and prosper. And we are proud and very, very pleased to have you with us today.
I have come to appreciate the dynamism that is so characteristic of Zaire and Zairians and to respect your dedication to fairness and reason. I have come to admire, Mr. President, your personal courage and leadership in Africa.