Moïse Katumbi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Moïse Katumbi
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| Governor of Katanga Province | |
| In office January 2007 – 29 September 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Kisula Ngoy |
| Succeeded by | Guilbert Paul Yav Tshibal (interim) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 December 1964 Kashobwe, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Political party | Together for the Republic |
| Other political affiliations |
Ensemble (before 2015) Independent (2015–18) Together for Change (2018–present) |
| Spouse | Carine Katumbi |
Moïse Katumbi Chapwe (born December 28, 1964) is a businessman and politician from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He leads the Together for the Republic political party. He served as the Governor of Katanga Province in the southern DRC from 2007 to 2015. Many people see him as a very important person in the DRC. In 2015, Jeune Afrique magazine even called him "African of the Year."
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About Moïse Katumbi
Moïse Katumbi was born on December 28, 1964. His mother was from Zambia, and his father was a Sephardic Jewish man from Greece. His father came to the Congo in 1938 to escape unfair laws in Greece.
Katumbi grew up in a village called Kashobwe in the Congo. This village is close to Lake Mweru and the border with Zambia. His father worked in the fishing business.
Katumbi went to school in Lubumbashi. He is married to Carine Katumbi. His older half-brother, Raphael Katebe Katoto, is also a businessman and used to be a politician.
Moïse Katumbi's Businesses
Moïse Katumbi started his first business when he was only 13 years old. He sold fish to a large mining company. In 1987, he created a company called Etablissement Katumbi. This company brought together all his business activities. These included mining, transportation, and food processing.
In 1997, Katumbi started MCK (Mining Company Katanga). This company focused on mining and moving goods. It worked for other mining companies in the area. By 2015, MCK had 1,900 employees and was a major mining company in the DRC.
Around the year 2000, Katumbi moved to Zambia for a short time because of a war in the Congo. He returned to the DRC in 2003. He was asked by the President to help improve the mining industry in Katanga.
His Love for Football
Since 1997, Moïse Katumbi has been the president of the football team TP Mazembe. This team is based in Lubumbashi. TP Mazembe has won the CAF Champions League title five times. They were also the first African team to play in the FIFA Club World Cup finals in 2010.
Katumbi has put a lot of money into the team. Many people say his support is a big reason for the club's success. He has helped the team get players from different African countries. He also pays good salaries to keep local players.
In 2011, Katumbi spent $35 million to build a new stadium for the team. He also started a football academy in 2012. This academy helps train young people in Katanga province. In 2015, about 2,000 young men were part of the academy.
Katumbi has also been involved in international football organizations. He was elected to the FIFA strategic commission in 2012. He also joined the organizing committee for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013.
Moïse Katumbi's Political Work
Governor of Katanga Province
In 2006, Moïse Katumbi was elected to the National Assembly. In January 2007, he became the first democratically elected Governor of Katanga Province. He received a lot of votes, showing strong support.
As governor, Katumbi helped the province's economy grow. He improved roads and other important buildings. He also encouraged companies from other countries to invest in Katanga. He did this by offering lower taxes and making it easier to start businesses. These efforts helped local taxes increase a lot.
Katumbi also focused on the mining industry. He made rules that encouraged mining companies to process minerals in Katanga. This helped increase copper production significantly. Besides mining, he also supported other parts of the economy, like services, energy, and agriculture. He offered free farmland and tax breaks to farmers. This helped the province grow more of its own food.
His government also made big improvements in daily life. They built or fixed over 1,500 kilometers of roads. They also improved hospitals and schools. Access to clean water greatly increased. The number of children going to school also grew a lot, with many more girls attending.
National Politics
In September 2015, Katumbi stepped down as governor. He also left his political party at that time.
In 2018, Moïse Katumbi announced he wanted to run for president in the DRC general election. He launched his new political group, Ensemble pour le changement (Together for Change). He tried to return to the DRC to officially register for the election, but he was stopped from entering the country at the border with Zambia. Because he could not return, his name was not on the final list of candidates for the election.
Katumbi also ran for president in the 2023 Democratic Republic of the Congo general election. He finished second in the election results. However, he said that there were problems with the election and called for changes.
His Beliefs
Moïse Katumbi supported President Joseph Kabila in earlier elections. But in 2015, Katumbi publicly disagreed with Kabila. Katumbi believes that the president should follow the country's rules and step down when his term ends. In 2016, Katumbi joined a group called "Front Citoyen 2016." This group wanted to make sure the presidential elections happened as planned.
Katumbi is also against Katanga province separating from the rest of Congo. He has often said that he prefers his business career over politics.
How People See Moïse Katumbi
Many people in Katanga Province and across the DRC think highly of Moïse Katumbi. They appreciate his work in developing the Katanga region and his leadership of the TP Mazembe football team. He is known for being generous and helping people.
The media often describe Katumbi as a "self-made man" and a "man of the people." In 2011, nearly a million people signed a petition asking him to stay as governor. In 2012, The Africa Report named him one of "The 50 most influential Africans." In 2015, Jeune Afrique called him "African of the Year."
Images for kids
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Moïse Katumbi
See also
In Spanish: Moïse Katumbi Chapwe para niños
