If you haven’t yet been a victim of the thieves operating in Kinshasa’s Central Market, it’s unwise to boast about it, says Jean-René Bompolonga
Recently I joined the throng jostling its way on to a bus home from the market. Taking my seat, I noticed two familiar faces — Innocent, who wore a red hat, and his friend, Pierre.
Like everyone else on the bus the two older guys had used their biceps to get on, but they took separate seats because it was such a crush, which is how I knew their names as they started a conversation with each other loud enough for all to hear.
As he sat down, Pierre suddenly exclaimed that 1Â 000 francs was missing from his trouser pocket. The other passengers responded sympathetically. ”It’s always like that in this market,” one woman said with a sigh. ”There are thieves among us even as we’re scrambling to get on the bus.”
”Yes,” a young girl told Pierre. ”The thief was probably that young man with the yellow shirt who was between monsieur and me. He blocked me from getting on, but then suddenly disappeared.”
”It’s always unwise to keep money in your trousers or shirt pockets around the Central Market,” said a man in his 50s. ”It’s practically giving money to thieves.”
By this point, our bus still hadn’t moved. It was blocked by vehicles in front and behind and the driver was negotiating to get through.
Innocent had so far kept quiet about his friend’s misfortune, but now broke his silence. ”I can never understand how some people still let themselves become victims of theft,” he said loudly. ”I’ve never been robbed and never will be. How do you allow a stranger to do that to you? Tell me, Pierre.”
At this the bus erupted in protest. ”Sooner or later you will be robbed,” the young girl said. But Innocent persisted: ”Tell me, Pierre, how do you let a thief take your 1 000 francs in broad daylight?”
”He’s not God,” said the 50-year-old man. ”Thieves don’t alert their victims when they plan to rob them.” The man had barely finished talking when the bus began moving. Just then a hand reached through the open window and plucked the red hat from Innocent’s head.
All the passengers fell silent. Eventually the young girl addressed Innocent: ”Dad, where is your hat?” And now the bus erupted into laughter, with the 50-year-old especially relishing the moment: ”How could you let someone come and take your hat?” he asked.
Innocent stared out the window for the rest of the journey — perhaps wondering if the thief had followed the debate on the bus. He was certainly missing his red hat.
Jean-René Bompolonga is a news reporter at the newspaper Le Phare in Kinshasa
