The family of famous guitarist Lokassa ya Mbongo from Congo is feeling very sad and embarrassed. They are still waiting for the government to help them with money to bury him, even though he passed away almost seven months ago.
Lokassa’s dead body is currently in a morgue in the capital city of Democratic Republic Congo, called Kinshasa. He was brought back from the US so that he could be buried in his home country, as it was his wish.
His son, André Marie Lokassa, told the BBC that the government said they would assist in arranging a funeral that would be respectful of the music star’s reputation, but they have not followed through on that promise.
A charity in the area that helps artists said that the delay happened because there were arguments and disagreements within the family.
Magloire Paluku, who works for the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, refused to answer questions when contacted by the BBC. He said to ask the family instead.
MrLokassa told the BBC that the family asked the government for $75,000 (£61,000) to pay for the funeral, but the government hasn’t said yes or no yet, so the family doesn’t know what will happen.
“It feels like humiliation, if we can describe it that way,” Mr. Lokassa expressed, mentioning that the delay was creating stress within the family.
MrLokassa said that even if the government doesn’t provide assistance, the family hopes to bury his father by mid-October. The bill for the morgue has already reached $4,000.
Lokassa ya Mbongo, also known as Denis Kasiya Lokassa, passed away at the age of 77 due to diabetes and complications from a mild stroke he had in 2020.
He was a great guitarist from DR Congo, but he mostly worked in Paris, leading the Soukous Stars band since 1984.
Later on, he joined forces with singer Sam Mangwana in Ivory Coast to create the African All Stars.
The guitarist is well known for his famous songs like Bonne Annee, Monica, Marie-Josse, Lagos Night, and Nairobi Night.
He went to the US in 1996 and lived there until he died in March. His dead body was taken to DR Congo the next month.
In any case, Craftsman in Peril, a charity gather for craftsmen in DR Congo, proposed that the government was not to fault for the burial service being deferred, which it had been caused by contrasts within the musician’s family over who ought to lead burial plans.
The group’s head, Tsaka Kongo, told the BBC that the family was required to show a letter to the specialists concurring to conclusion their debate and permit the government to sort out the burial.
“I drawn nearer Lokassa’s family to assist them speed up the burial service prepare but they needed to continue alone, which I complied with. The [burial] delay is stunning, my wish is that a arrangement is found as before long as conceivable,” Mr Kongo said.
In April, the body of another well-known Congolese artist Saak Sinatra Sakul was flown from Paris to Kinshasa for burial.
The family was trusting for government offer assistance for his memorial service, but relatives at that point buried him on their possess since of fears that his body could decompose because it had allegedly been kept in a casket, instead of a mortuary drawer, for almost 10 days.
Other Congolese performers have moreover held up for months to be buried after their passing. These incorporate composer and saxophonist Kiamuangana Mateta Verckys, who passed on in October final year and was buried in December and jazz star Lutumba Simaro Masiya, who passed on in Walk 2019 and was as it were laid to rest in May that year.
Lokassa’s niece Nicole Londala too faulted the government for the delay, saying it had not however satisfied its guarantee to fund the burial.
“We at first trusted that the burial service may be composed in five or 10 days. It is difficult that since 15 April, we are still holding up for the burial service to require put,” Ms Londala told the BBC.