Main Menu

  • Home
  • News
  • Interview
  • Entertainment
    • Stars Profile
  • Life style & well being
  • Security
  • Events
    • Fashion
    • Culture
    • Photo Speaks
  • More
    • Brands
    • Autospace
  • Videos
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login

logo

Header Banner

  • Home
  • News
  • Interview
  • Entertainment
    • Stars Profile
  • Life style & well being
  • Security
  • Events
    • Fashion
    • Culture
    • Photo Speaks
  • More
    • Brands
    • Autospace
  • Videos
  • Biden Reverses Trump’s Travel Ban On Nigeria, Yemen, Eritrea, Others

  • WHY ZAMFARA STATE APC ARE SO JITTERY, SO CONFUSED, SO DEVASTATED ABOUT GOV. MATAWALLE CLAIM POLITICAL MOVE?

  • DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF ENGAGING THE MYSTERY OF GOD’S ARMOURY AT MFM FEBRUARY EDITION OF POWER MUST CHANGE HANDS

  • Advice to Africans: Don’t Send Your Children To Study In The West

  • Africa: France Approves Return of African Treasures Looted During Colonial Period

Featured
Home›Featured›Pierre Kompany, a Congolese ex Refugee Elected Belgium’s first Black Mayor

Pierre Kompany, a Congolese ex Refugee Elected Belgium’s first Black Mayor

By
October 22, 2018
376
0
Share:

In a historic moment, Belgium has elected its first black mayor, Congolese politician, Pierre Kompany, the father of Vincent Kompany, Manchester City’s Captain. Pierre (71), a Mechanical Engineer who was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and came to Belgium in 1975 as a refugee.

The ties between citizens of former colonial countries and their former masters continue to wax strong, albeit with due reservations held. The narrative of an immigrant is, and has always been, once an immigrant forever an immigrant, even with legal papers. The immigrant tag and all its connotations (some negative) has however not stopped many Africans from holding positions of leadership or representing the countries they adopted in various sporting disciplines. Pierre Kompany, the father of Belgian and Manchester City footballer Vincent Kompany, is the latest African to make history, becoming Belgium’s first Black Mayor. Kompany received 1,327 votes in Gashoren municipality, in the north-west of Brussels.

Kompany (71), a Mechanical Engineer who was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo received many congratulatory messages including a heartwarming one from his son Vincent who took to Instagram to congratulate his father. Vincent wrote: “Just for the guys abroad, he is the first black mayor in Belgium. It’s never happened before, it’s historical, congratulations to my dad.” The Manchester City captain who was alongside with his brother, Francois, in the video captioned the video: “History! We are so proud of you dad. Came over from the DR Congo, as a refugee, in 1975. Now gained the trust of your local community becoming the first ever black elected mayor in Belgium! It was long overdue but it’s progress. Massive congrats!”

Early this year, Belgium renamed the former Square du Bastion to Patrice Lumumba Square. The renaming of the square came as part of the apology to Congo for the assassination of Lumumba. The public gesture has however not done much to reduce the racism Black people face in Belgium, and neither has it reduced the pain of the memory of atrocities Belgium committed in Congo.

The election of Kompany, though historic, is not in stark contrast to other positions Black people have held in White majority spaces, and his election could act as a symbolic and significant step to address racism in the country. The general expectation that living conditions of Black people will significantly change for the better when a Black person occupies a political office has been proven to be false. When Barack Obama was President of the United States, many Black people expected that radical changes would be made to address issues affecting Black people such as, systemic racism, police brutality, poor schools, poverty among others but for many, the changes were far from satisfactory.

TagsDemocratic Republic of CongoPierre Kompany
Previous Article

How Innovative Rules are Changing African Banking ...

Next Article

Dambe: The revived West African Martial Art ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related articles More from author

  • CultureFeatured

    Creepiest African Myths, Legends

    May 23, 2019
    By Adeyemi Matthew
  • Featured

    Time: NO IOTA OF Corruption In It.

    September 24, 2019
    By Adeyemi Matthew
  • Featured

    INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT FIGURE 16

    September 24, 2019
    By Adeyemi Matthew
  • Featured

    COVID-19: Business Leaders Must Change Mindset from Survival to Thriving and Innovating for Future – Verraki

    April 20, 2020
    By Adeyemi Matthew
  • Featured

    ADB and Canada Commits to Developing Women Empowerment in Africa

    August 27, 2018
    By
  • Featured

    Big Barrels: The New Narrative on Africa’s Oil & Gas that is Captivating Global Markets

    August 9, 2018
    By

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You may interested

  • Culture

    2019 Cape Town Carnival: Experience a Jolt of Energy, Celebrate Human Potential

  • CultureFeatured

    The Diversity of African Culture and Creativity

  • BrandsDesign

    THE NIGERIA POLICE FORCE (NPF) PARTNERS WITH AoS CONSULT TO INTRODUCE THE POLICE BACKGROUND CHECK NUMBER (PBCN)

Timeline

  • January 21, 2021

    Biden Reverses Trump’s Travel Ban On Nigeria, Yemen, Eritrea, Others

  • January 21, 2021

    WHY ZAMFARA STATE APC ARE SO JITTERY, SO CONFUSED, SO DEVASTATED ABOUT GOV. MATAWALLE CLAIM POLITICAL MOVE?

  • January 21, 2021

    DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF ENGAGING THE MYSTERY OF GOD’S ARMOURY AT MFM FEBRUARY EDITION OF POWER MUST CHANGE HANDS

  • January 20, 2021

    Advice to Africans: Don’t Send Your Children To Study In The West

  • January 20, 2021

    Africa: France Approves Return of African Treasures Looted During Colonial Period

About AfricanStyles & Culture

Africa’s best source for African styles and culture news. We are available both in print and online versions.

Teemark Communications Limited

8, Agboola Aina Street off John Olugbo Street Ikeja, Lagos
UK Office: Square Root Business Centre, 102-116 Windmill Road, Croydon,Surrey,CRO 2XQ

Phone: +2348033026841
+442086654242, +447404585033

  • Followers
  • Likes
© Copyright Teemark Communications. All rights reserved.