The gold-covered tooth of Patrice Lumumba, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s independence hero, is safe and not stolen, his daughter has told the BBC.
The news comes as a relief to a country gripped by fear that the only remains of the country’s revered first prime minister have been swept away after his mausoleum in the capital Kinshasa was vandalized on Monday evening.
But Juliana Lumumba said previous concerns about the safety of the site had prompted the family to move the tooth to a safer location.
The tooth was returned to the Lumumba family only two years ago by the former colonial power Belgium – and placed in the special memorial building.
Lumumba was loved not only at home, but throughout Africa for his outspoken criticism of colonialism – and he became an icon of Pan-Africanism.
He was seen as a symbol of change and hope after the harrowing years under Belgian rule, in which millions of Congolese died or were abused.
But within months of Belgium’s independence from Belgium in 1960, he was ousted as prime minister.
At the age of 35, he was shot by a firing squad in January 1961, with the tacit support of Belgium.
His body was then dissolved in acid, but Belgian police officer Gerard Soete, who oversaw the destruction, took the tooth with him as a macabre memento.
The return of Lumumba’s gold tooth in June 2022 was cause for celebration in DR Congo – and the photo was taken on a tour of the vast country so people could pay their respects.
The vandalism of the mausoleum has sparked outrage – and when Culture Minister Yolande Elebe Mandembo announced on Tuesday that an investigation had been launched, many feared the worst.
Images circulated showing that a glass door had been smashed to gain access to the room where a coffin was on display.
But Ms Lumumba tried to reassure people on Wednesday, saying her father’s tooth was not there at the time of the burglary.
Nevertheless, she told the BBC that she felt “anger and sadness” because her father’s grave was not respected.
Patrice Lumumba’s gold tooth – pictured here in 2016 – was kept in a padded box by Belgian police officer Gerard Soete [Jelle Vermeersch]
She is now 69 and has lobbied in Belgium for years for the return of the tooth.
“Patrice Lumumba sacrificed himself for the sovereignty and independence of his country and the Congolese,” she said.
“This is so not representative of our culture, which respects the graves of our dearly departed.”
Local authorities say four suspects have been arrested over the desecration, but their identities have not been made public.
Ms Lumumba said the Lumumba Foundation wanted to take over management of the mausoleum due to security concerns and had lobbied the government to do so.
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[Getty Images/BBC]
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