Educational Media Reviews Online

Joseph Mobutu served as the head of the Congo now known as Zaire for thirty years. Rising from military journalist to Secretary to President to King, Mobutu was able to control his country with an iron fist, repressing all those who were against him and controlling the country's military, treasury and land. This three part documentary studies the life of the "Leopard King" as he grew from a childhood of poverty to a life of lavish extravagances and great power and then ended up alone and in exile dying of cancer.

Part one of the series focuses on the first years of Mobutu's life and his rise to power. His first job was as a journalist and as he began to explore issues of interest he also began to be seen as a potential leader. Selected as Secretary of the Army and Secretary of State for the newly freed Congo, he becomes concerned about the actions of then president Lumumba and eventually stages a coup. When Lumumba is assassinated Mobutu takes more power and puts down more revolts. He eventually takes absolute control of the country. In an interview after he takes power he notes that he will only follow democracy to a point and creates the Popular Movement of the Revolution, the only political party in the country that even included the unborn as members. He also renames the country Zaire and says that anything "white" is no longer acceptable including Christian names.

In the second video, viewers see that Mobutism has taken hold. He wants more power and wants to be seen as a God and praised in song and dance. He continues to control the country with an iron hand, sending a priest that dared to speak against him to exile in the Vatican, crushing one rebellion after another. He begins to see himself as a businessman, getting rich from the sale of copper and other raw materials from his country's mines. At this point in the film there is the beginning of a discussion about corruption in Zaire and how Mobutu put his wealth into lands and banks all over the world.

The final tape shows Mobutu's interactions with world leaders including throwing lavish parties and traveling throughout the world for meetings. He is considered a diplomatic genius but his world is beginning to crumble. Scenes are shown with him and Nicolai Ceausecu, someone he considered as a dear friend. Later scenes show Ceausecu's trail and execution. The loss of this friend convinces him to allow for the democratization of the country. As the process of democratization begins people criticize Mobutu, and for the first time are not murdered or forced into exile. More of his enemies begin to surface at the same time that copper prices drop and poverty begins to hit the nation. Mobutu stops the transition process to try and stop the violence but at the same time is stricken with cancer and leaves the country for treatment. He remains away and the country continues to implode. When he returns he loses two of his sons and sees a former Lumumba follower leading a revolution against him. He is unable to seize control and leaves the country in 1997 and dies four months later.

All three videos include extensive interviews with former Mobutu colleagues and aides including his son-in-law. Also included are interviews with CIA operatives, some who opposed Mobutu and lived to tell the story, and some from around the world that got to know Mobutu as leader and as friend. Some of the most interesting footage provided comes from interviews with Mobutu himself talking about his experiences, how he ruled the country and his philosophy about life. The large majority of these interviews are in French but are subtitled.

This fine series has been well researched and provides many different viewpoints of Mobutu as man and as leader. This video will find a home in academic libraries with collections on African studies, political science, history, and international affairs.