“Steal cleverly, little by little”
Born/Died: October 14, 1930 - September 14, 1997
Dates in Power: November 24, 1965 - May 26, 1997
Also know as: The Leopard, The Guide, Mulopwe (God-king), Jeff
Signature beverage: Laurent Perrier Pink Champagne
Favorite outfit: A blue or gray Mao-style tunic, a leopard-skin hat, and an ebony walking stick which he believed gave him magical powers.
Mobutu Sese Seko, inspired by a meeting with older, more experienced dictator Mao Zedong, made a communist-style cult of personality a prominent feature of his own rule. Describing so-called “Mobutism,” a former underling wrote: “Nothing is possible without Mobutu. He created Zaire... You do not even use the toilet without the authorization of Le Guide.”
The future kleptocrat was born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu in the Belgian Congo. A flamboyant figure known for his leopard-skin hats, silk scarves, and Buddy Holly glasses, Mobutu seized power in a military coup in 1965. Beginning in the early 1970s, he undertook a program of authenticité, encouraging his people to reject Western influences and embrace an exclusively African identity. European names and dress were discouraged. The Congo was re-christened Zaire and Joseph-Désiré, known to his childhood playmates as “Jeff,” became Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga (The all-powerful leader who, because of his endurance and inflexible will to win, goes from conquest to conquest, leaving fire in his wake). His government seized all foreign-owned farms, ranches, factories and shops and handed them over to Zaireans. Within weeks massive layoffs and shortages were reported as these enterprises floundered in the hands of Mobutu’s inept cronies. While the average citizen’s annual income plummeted to just $120, Mobutu pocketed $15 billion in bribes, foreign aid, and business deals—amassing a personal fortune equal to Zaire’s national debt. He openly encouraged government officials to join in the plunder and corruption swiftly came to permeate every level of society.
Unfortunately for Mobutu Sese Seko, several of his generals were enriching themselves by selling arms to rebels. In 1997, he was forced out of office and fled with his family into exile. At The Leopard’s opulent villa on the banks of the Congo river all that remained after thorough looting were hundreds of adult diapers. Mobutu, who presumed control over the bladders of an entire nation, was left incontinent by prostate cancer. He died four months late in Rabat, Morocco.
Crimes & Misdemeanors: Mobutu Sese Seko was one of the most corrupt dictators of all time. Over the course of his disastrous 32-year reign he stole an estimated $15 billion from state coffers. In the 1990’s he gave refuge and aid to the Hutu perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide.
Legacy: Mobutu left his homeland bankrupt and riven by faction A four-year-long civil war erupted soon after his ouster.
Fun Fact: Mobutu was so fond of his wife that he doubled his pleasure—taking her twin sister as his mistress.
