Zamenga Batukezanga
Congolese writer and philanthropist (1933–2000)
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Zamenga Batukezanga (1933–2000) was a Congolese writer and philanthropist. Zamenga's work explored African culture.[1] He's been named the "most popular Congolese writer" of the Democratic Republic of Congo.[2]
Zamenga Batukezanga | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | February 20, 1933 Bas-Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) |
| Died | June 2, 2000 (aged 67) Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) |
| Occupation | Author, public speaker |
| Alma mater | Université libre de Bruxelles |
| Genre | Fiction, essays, poetry |
| Notable works | Mille kilomètres à pied (1979) Un boy à Pretoria (1989) |
Career
Zamenga Batukezanga was born February 20, 1933 in nkobo- Luozi Bas-Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo. In the 1950s, he did his graduate studies at Mangembo and in 1960, a scholarship allowed him to study at l'Université libre de Bruxelles, in Belgium. Back in Congo in 1965, he was appointed Director of Student Social Work. In 1977, he opened a center for the rehabilitation of young people with physical disabilities (Kikesa), which he headed until 1981. In 1984, he was appointed director general of the National Society of Congolese publishers, composers and authors.
Later life and legacy
Towards the end of the 1980s, Zamenga decided to leave everything. He refused a post at Unesco in 1986 to devote himself entirely to writing and philanthropic works. He spent the last years of his life in his native region, serving the poor. He died on June 2, 2000 (age 67) in Kinshasa[3]
Every year, the Zamenga Batukezanga Literary Prize is awarded to a Congolese writer under the age of 40.[2]
Selected works
- Souvenir du village, 1971
- Bandoki, 1973
- Carte postale, 1974
- Village qui disparaît dans les promesses, 1975
- Les îles Soyo, éditions Zabat, 1979
- Lettre d’Amérique[permanent dead link], 1980
- Un Croco à Luozi[permanent dead link], 1980
- Psaumes sur le fleuve Zaïre[permanent dead link], 1985
- Un Blanc en Afrique[permanent dead link], 1988
- Pour une démystification: la littérature en Afrique[permanent dead link], 1989
- Un boy à Pretoria[permanent dead link], 1990
- Laveur des Cadavres[permanent dead link], 1992
- Pour un cheveu blanc[permanent dead link], posthumous work, 2005
- La Mercèdes qui saute le trou[permanent dead link], posthumous work, 2005
Award
- 1985: Grand Prize of the 20th anniversary of the 2nd Republic of Zaire for all of his literary work.
Legagy
- Phambu Ngoma-Binda, Zamenga Batukezanga : Vie et Œuvre[permanent dead link], Éditions Saint Paul Afrique, 1990, 80 p
- Wyatt Mc Gaffey, « Zamenga of Zaire: Novelist, Historian, Sociologist, Philosopher and Moralist[permanent dead link] », in Research in African Literatures, vol. 13, No. 2 (Summer, 1982), p. 208-215 Zamenga of Zaire: "Novelist, Historian, Sociologist, Philosopher and Moralist" on JSTOR