Mobutu Sésé Seko Quotes (25 quotes) | Quotes of famous people

Mobutu Sésé Seko: 25 quotes7 likes

Famous Mobutu Sésé Seko Quotes

“Treating me as a thief is a grave, unacceptable, intolerable insult which stems from contempt and racist condescension.”

Mobutu Sésé Seko

Mobutu, in response to claims by the Belgian media that he was taking Belgian aid for himself. Harden, p. 52

“Who taught us corruption? I believe it was you, frankly… It's an import.”

Mobutu Sésé Seko

In an interview with a French reporter, as featured in "Mobutu: King of Zaire."
Attributed

“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.”

Mobutu Sésé Seko

November 30, 1973, on the eve of "Zairianization". Zaire: A Country Study, "Zairianization, Radicalization, and Retrocession" http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+zr0044)

“The chief is the chief. He is the eagle who flies high and cannot be touched by the spit of the toad.”

Mobutu Sésé Seko

October 1991. Meredith, p. 391

“Democracy is not for Africa. There was only one African chief and here in Zaire we must make unity.”

Mobutu Sésé Seko

George B. N. Ayittey, Africa Betrayed, p. 65

“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.”

Mobutu Sésé Seko

George B. N. Ayittey, Africa in Chaos, p. 113

Mobutu Sésé Seko Quotes about homeland

“In a word, everything is for sale, anything can be bought in our country. And in this flow, he who holds the slightest cover of public authority uses it illegally to acquire money, goods, prestige or to avoid obligations. The right to be recognized by a public servant, to have one's children enrolled in school, to obtain medical care, etc. …are all subject to this tax which, though invisible, is known and expected by all.”

Mobutu Sésé Seko

November 25, 1977. D.J. Gould, "Patrons and Clients: The Role of the Military in Zaire Politics," in Isaac Mowoe, ed., The Performance of Soldiers as Governors, p. 485

“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.”

Mobutu Sésé Seko

Mobutu explaining his foreign policy. Elliot and Dymally, p. 51

“In our African tradition, there are never two chiefs; there is sometimes a natural heir to the chief, but can anyone tell me that he has ever known a village that has two chiefs? That is why we Congolese, in the desire to conform to the traditions of our continent, have resolved to group all the energies of the citizens of our country under the banner of a single national party.”

Mobutu Sésé Seko

Young and Turner, p. 211

“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.
Nothing counted for them but power…and what the exercise of power could bring them. Fill their own pockets, exploit the Congo and the Congolese, this was their trademark.
Given such examples, both national and provincial administrations were mired in inertia, inefficiency, and worse yet, corruption.
At all levels, many of those in our country who held a morsel of public power allowed themselves to be corrupted, served individuals and companies who paid bribes and neglected the others…
…certain politicians, to maintain themselves in power or to regain it, did not hesitate to seek help from foreign powers…
…the social, economic and financial situation of the country is catastrophic.”

Mobutu Sésé Seko

Mobutu explaining the reasons behind his November 1965 coup. Young and Turner, p. 42

“Clearly, I would be lying if I said I do not have a bank account in Europe; I do. I would be lying if I said I do not have considerable money in my account; I do. Yes, I do have a fair amount of money. However, I would estimate it to total less than 50 million dollars. What is that for twenty-two years as head of state in such a big country?”

Mobutu Sésé Seko

Mobutu to congressman Mervyn Dymally, 1988. Elliot and Dymally, p. 25

“I know my people. They like grandeur. They want us to have respect abroad in the eyes of other countries.”

Mobutu Sésé Seko

Ayittey, p. 257