Pressure is rising on Congolese authorities to publish the procurement records tied to the footbridge that collapsed during its inauguration in Mont-Ngafula. Civil society groups, opposition lawmakers, and construction-industry professionals say the only way to settle the growing controversy is to disclose who won the contract, how much was paid, and whether due-process rules were followed. The collapse itself is no longer in dispute the video went viral within hours but the financing trail behind the project remains opaque.
Here’s what matters now. The Ministry of Public Works has not released the tender documents, the contractor’s bid, the project schedule, or the bill of quantities. Without those files, it is impossible to confirm or debunk claims circulating online that the job was awarded to a company linked to President Félix Tshisekedi’s family or that the price approached 2.2 million dollars. Anti-corruption groups say these records should be public by default and warn that silence from the authorities fuels suspicion. Several organisations are preparing formal requests for disclosure modeled on access-to-information procedures used in other ministries.
Africa Today Media Group stated on their X said, The Engineers who reviewed footage of the failure say the structural issues look straightforward either a design error, poor workmanship, substandard materials, or a combination of all three. But they add a crucial point: a professional assessment means nothing without the background paperwork. The design brief shows what builders were asked to deliver. The contract reveals the cost allowances. The supervision logs show whether inspectors visited the site. Right now, none of that is available.
Lawmakers in Kinshasa’s provincial assembly are pushing for an oversight hearing. Their goal is simple: get the ministry, the contractor, and the project supervisors in the same room to answer questions under oath. Political analysts note that the government could end the speculation in a day by publishing the contract file, yet it has chosen not to. That decision has deepened public frustration and given the story a life of its own.
Bottom line: the bridge collapse has moved from an engineering failure to a transparency test. Until the procurement documents are released the contract award, payments, design plans, supervision reports, and company ownership records the public will keep filling the information vacuum with speculation. The government can either defend the project with evidence or face widening distrust.
Below is the full video
Congo 🇨🇩
— Africa Today Media Group (@africatodayMG) November 29, 2025
President Felix Tshisekedi's construction company, led by one of his family members, built this bridge for 2.2 million dollars.
On the day of its inauguration, it collapsed. pic.twitter.com/fcgVwsHSbb
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