First Lady of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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First Lady of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (French: Première Dame de la République démocratique du Congo) is the title attributed to the wife of the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Inaugural holderHortense Kasa-Vubu
FormationJuly 1, 1960
| First Lady of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
|---|---|
| |
| Inaugural holder | Hortense Kasa-Vubu |
| Formation | July 1, 1960 |
The country's current first lady is Denise Tshisekedi, wife of President Félix Tshisekedi, who had held the title since January 24, 2019.
First Ladies
| No. | Name | Portrait | Term Began | Term Ended | President | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hortense Kasa-Vubu |  |
July 1, 1960 | November 24, 1965 | Joseph Kasa-Vubu | Kasa-Vubu, who was born Hortense Ngoma Masunda, married Joseph Kasa-Vubu in a Catholic ceremony on October 10, 1941.[1] |
| 2 | Marie-Antoinette Mobutu |  |
November 24, 1965 | October 22, 1977 | Mobutu Sese Seko | As First Lady of Zaire beginning in 1971. Marie-Antoinette Mobutu, the first wife of President Mobutu Sese Seko, died from heart failure on October 22, 1977. |
| Position technically vacant | October 22, 1977 | May 1, 1980 | Marie-Antoinette Mobutu died on October 22, 1977. | |||
| 3 | Bobi Ladawa Mobutu | May 1, 1980 | May 16, 1997 | As First Lady of Zaire. Bobi Ladawa had been Sese Seko's longtime mistress during the 1970s. The couple had children together even before the death of Sese Seko's first wife, Marie-Antoinette Mobutu, in 1977.[2] Ladawa and Sese Seko married in a church and civil wedding on May 1, 1980, on the eve of Pope John Paul II's visit to Zaire. However, the Pope refused to officiate the ceremony.[3] | ||
| 4 | Sifa Mahanya | May 17, 1997 | January 16, 2001 | Laurent-Désiré Kabila | Sifa Mahanya was the main wife of Laurent-Désiré Kabila, who reportedly had at least 13 wives, and matriarch of the Kabilas.[4][5] According to official biographies, Mahanya and Laurent Kabila are the parents of former President Joseph Kabila.[4] However, this parentage is disputed by some observers and opposition figures.[4] | |
| Position vacant | January 16, 2001 | June 1, 2006 | Joseph Kabila | President Joseph Kabila was not married at the time. | ||
| 5 | Olive Lembe di Sita | .jpg) |
June 1, 2006 | January 24, 2019 | Olive Lembe di Sita married President Joseph Kabila on June 1, 2006, and they celebrated their wedding on June 17, 2006 at the presidential residence in Gombe, Kinshasa.[6] | |
| 6 | Denise Tshisekedi |  |
January 24, 2019 | Félix Tshisekedi | ||