Kinshasa: Trade unionist Emery Masunga taken to his final resting place

It was during an emotional ceremony at the morgue of the Cinquantenaire Hospital that the entire staff of the Ministry of Primary, Secondary, and Technical Education (EPST) paid tribute to Emery Masunga Makanda, vice president of the National Union of Teachers of the Congo (SYECO). Having passed away on July 26, 2023, in Kisantu, Kongo-Central, while participating in the Mbwela Lodge IV project, the sudden passing of this valiant union leader has left the sub-sector in a state of shock. In her eulogy, EPST Secretary General Christine Nepa Nepa—who also conveyed the words of Minister Tony Mwaba, currently in Europe—paid tribute to an ingenious, strategic, and committed union leader who distinguished himself through his advocacy on behalf of his members. “The minister in charge, Tony Mwaba, who is currently traveling, instructed me to tell you about the circumstances in which he met Emery Masunga. Minister Tony Mwaba met Emery Masunga during a difficult time for the Ministry of EPST. While all of us, his closest colleagues, refused to come down to make statements, Emery brought a group of teachers to the minister’s office, and after a meeting, the problem was resolved. Emery was also one of the colleagues who was able to persuade the EPST authorities to consult with religious leaders, again in an effort to restore peace within the ministry,” she said. The EPST inter-union coalition remembers the struggle of the illustrious departed in the various negotiations between the government and the unions. To immortalize his legacy, the inter-union group has decided to rename the Mbuela Lodje IV conference “Emery Masunga IV.” “Comrade Emery Masunga was a fervent defender of the teachers’ cause. He participated in all negotiations between the stakeholders, proposing relevant recommendations to improve the socio-professional conditions of Congolese teachers. Moreover, this session of the joint government-union committee of the EPST is dedicated to him and will henceforth be named the ‘Emery Masunga Makanda Mbuela 4 Joint Committee,’ said Godefroid Matondo, spokesperson for the EPST inter-union coalition. Following the speeches, the Secretary General, accompanied by the Chief of Staff to the Minister of EPST, the President of the Republic’s advisor on education, and the directors-general of the EPST’s central services, laid a wreath on behalf of the EPST staff. Emery Masunga Makanda, vice president of SYECO and director within the National Directorate for Oversight, Payroll Preparation, and Management of Teaching and Administrative Staff in Schools (DINACOPE), has passed away at the age of 56 while participating in the meetings convened as part of the discussions between the government and the teachers’ unions. Dan de Dieu Kayanda and Paulin Ngenda