Bandalungwa

The name Bandalungwa originates from a linguistic misinterpretation during an interaction between a Belgian colonial administrator and the local inhabitants.^[15] The incident occurred during a visit to Chief Lingwala Ngambo, grandson of the Humbu ethnic group's Chief Selembao.^{[15][16]: 103–105} Lingwala had been allocated land near the present-day sites of CHANIMetal and UTEXAFRICA but later relocated north to what is now Bandalungwa, while Selembao resettled farther south.^{[16]: 103–105}

Inquiring about the ownership of a nearby lake, Chief Lingwala asked his people in the Teke dialect. The response was "bana ba Lingwala", with bana meaning "water" (or river), and ba serving as a determinative conjunction meaning "of".^[15] However, the Belgian administrator misheard this as "Bandalungwa", and the name was subsequently adopted.^[15] Chief Lingwala's legacy is physically commemorated within the commune; his body was buried in 1923 at No. 3 Mpumbu Il Avenue in the Lubudi quartier.^[15]

Bandalungwa is traversed by two rivers, essential for sanitation and agriculture. The Makelele River forms the western boundary with the commune of Kintambo, while the Basoko River separates Bandalungwa from the Kokolo Military Camp and Ngiri-Ngiri commune to the north.^{[17][18][19][20]} These watercourses facilitate efficient drainage and flood management while supporting large-scale market gardening within the commune.^[20][17] Known locally as inga and bilanga, these gardens provide much of Kinshasa's fresh vegetable supply.^[15] The hydrological system also includes the Mfuti Watershed, a subject of environmental studies focused on combating erosion and managing water quality.^[21] Challenges like sediment build-up in this watershed illustrate the interaction between urban growth and environmental care, with erosion endangering water ecosystems and usability.^[21]

Administratively, Bandalungwa is governed by a mayor and a deputy mayor, supported by a structured network of municipal services.^[22] These include departments responsible for civil status, population management, housing, environmental regulation, social affairs, and small- and medium-sized enterprises, as well as branches of the Agence Nationale de Renseignements (ANR) and the general migration directorate.^[22] Policing and security fall under the territorial police.^[22]

The commune is divided into eight quartiers (quarters), which are subdivided into avenues.^[7][22] While these quartiers serve as functional units for governance and service delivery, they lack independent legal status.^[23]

• Adoula
• Bisengo
• Kasa-Vubu
• Makelele
• Lubudi
• Lingwala
• Lumumba
• Kokolo

Historically, the area was a lake that evolved into a sandy plateau inhabited by the Bateke and Bahumbu peoples, who established a kingdom encompassing Bandalungwa and also the present-day communes of Selembao, Kasa-Vubu, Ngiri-Ngiri, Kintambo, and Lingwala.^[22] This kingdom, led by a series of rulers, saw its last king, Lungua, died on 20 August 1920, in the village of Bampao.^[22]

Bandalungwa, in its modern incarnation, was formally established on 8 December 1955, during the late colonial period.^[7][22] Its creation was part of a development initiative funded by the Belgian monarchy, designed to provide housing for Congolese civil servants and educators.^[22] Initial construction began with three quartiers: Mawa (now Adoula), Max-Hoan (now Bisengo), and Cynkin (now Makelele), characterized by rows of two-story colonial-style homes.^[22] These homes, which remain a distinctive feature of the commune, were built to accommodate the needs of public service workers and their families.^[22]

The first administrator of Bandalungwa was Nor, a Belgian official, who oversaw the commune's development.^[22] In 1959, Ngoma Oscar became the first Congolese administrator.^[24] After independence in 1960, Bandalungwa experienced rapid urbanization fueled by significant rural-to-urban migration, which transformed the commune into a densely populated, working-class area with modest incomes.^[25] Despite the lack of a comprehensive urbanization policy, the colonial-era housing infrastructure has largely remained intact, with minimal modifications over time.^[25]

During the 1990s and early 2000s, Bandalungwa grappled with urban issues, including overcrowding, pervasive criminal activities, and pervasive nighttime noise.^[25]

In 2011, a significant urban development project was announced to construct 1,000 social housing units on the former Bandalungwa nursery site at the intersection of Kasa-Vubu and Libération (formerly 24 Novembre) avenues.^[12] Led by the Chinese company Société Zhen Gwei Technique Congo (STZC), the project was intended to span three years and cost nearly $160 million.^[12] However, delays and a relaunch in 2013 under the succeeding Minister of Urban Planning and Housing, Fridolin Kasweshi, shifted the timeline.^[13] The project aimed to establish a residential area called "Joseph Kabila Kin-oasis City", featuring diverse housing options, including apartments, villas, and public amenities like markets, hotels, and cultural spaces.^[13] By 2014, several structures were nearing completion,^[26] with media outlets like 7sur7 accentuating the emergence of modern multi-story buildings.^[27] In the ensuing years, numerous extended-stay hotels have been developed, financed by members of the Congolese diaspora.^[28]