Congo: Uko abahanga mu kurimba b'i Kinshasa n'i Brazzaville barimo kubyigisha urubyiruko

Abaturage bamwe b'imijyi ya Brazzaville na Kinshasa - imirwa mikuru ibiri yegeranye cyane kurusha iyindi yose ku isi - bamaze igihe bazwiho gutsapa, by'umwihariko abagize 'Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes' (SAPE). Aya mafoto ya Tariq Zaidi - akubiye mu gitabo cyasohotse muri uku kwezi kwa cyenda cyitwa 'Sapeurs: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Congo' - agaragaza n'aba 'sapeurs' bashya.

I Kinshasa mu murwa mukuru wa Repubulika ya Demokarasi ya Kongo, Natan w'imyaka 8, umwana w'umu-'sapeur' uzwi cyane Fiston Mahata, ahagarariye urubyiruko rw'intyoza mu kurimba.

Hakurya y'uruzi rwa Congo, mu murwa mukuru Brazzaville, Okili Nkoressa w'imyaka 10, uri hagati, arakoresha umuhanda w'igitaka mu kumurika imyambarire n'intambuko ye.

Ati: "Umwenda nkunda cyane ni ikoti ryanjye rya Yves Saint Laurent nambaye uyu munsi".

Ari kumwe n'abamaze igihe mu kuba aba 'sapeuses' ari bo umugore ucuruza witwa Ntsimba Marie Jeanne w'imyaka 52, uri ibumoso, n'umupolisi w'umugore Judith Nkoressa w'imyaka 39, uri ibumoso.

Se wa Séverin Mouyengo na we yari umu-'sapeur'. Uyu mugabo w'imyaka 62 wahoze akora mu bijyanye n'amashyamba, agira ati: "Ndarimba buri munsi. Bituma nibagirwa buri kintu cyose".

Yongeyeho ati: "Bizanira amahoro n'umutuzo buri muntu wese... Simbona ukuntu umuntu wo muri La SAPE [wo mu itsinda ry'abarimba] yagira urugomo cyangwa ngo arwane. Amahoro avuze byinshi kuri twe".

Elie Fontaine, umushoferi wa taxi w'imyaka 45, avuga ko yatangiye kwambara ama 'costumes' akiri umwana mu mwaka wa 1982. Ati: "Bajyaga batubwira ko SAPE ari nk'uburyo bwo 'kuba ikirara k'urubyiruko'".

Aba-'sapeurs' bamamaye ku isi mu mwaka wa 2014 ubwo uruganda rwenga inzoga rwa Guiness rwashyiraga imyambarire yabo (style) mu itangazo ryamamaza.

Maxime Pivot Mabanza, umaze imyaka 36 ari umu-'sapeur', agira ati: "Kuri jye SAPE ni uburyo bwo kubaho, SAPE ni icyiciro cy'imibereho, SAPE ni akazi".

Perreira Franchisco w'imyaka 37, utanga ubujyanama mu ikoreshwa rya mudasobwa (computer consultant) i Brazzaville, avuga ko ari we "mu-'sapeur' urenze abandi bose".

Agira ati:

"Ubu ngiye kwerekana ikizwi nka 'équation' [amayobera, ugenekereje mu Kinyarwanda] y'imyambarire igizwe n'ibintu 2 cyangwa 3. Rero ndaba nambaye 'costume' ya Kenzo ikorerwa mu Butaliyani, na 'veste' itagira mu mugongo ya Jean Basinga, nambare na 'cravate' (tie) y'ubururu, umweru n'umutuku ya Pierre Cardin n'inkweto ziteye 'cirage' za John Foster. Nkunda kwambara 'costume' yanjye ya Kenzo - yakorewe mu Butaliyani!"

Abagore bakomeje kuyoboka kuba muri SAPE. Ella Kiadi, umucuruzi w'imyaka 44, amaze imyaka umunani yinjiye muri iri tsinda ry'abahanga mu kwambara neza.

Abagore n'abakobwa bo muri iri tsinda bitwa 'sapeuses'.

Aba-'sapeuses' bamwe babimazemo imyaka ibarirwa muri za mirongo. Barimo nk'uyu mukozi wo mu rugo Clémentine Biniakoulou w'imyaka 52, umaze imyaka 36 ari 'sapeuse'.

Nino Valentino agira ati: "Ni nk'umuntu urwaye indwara idakira ugomba gufata imiti [buri gihe], uko ni ko SAPE imeze".

Basile Gandzion w'imyaka 51, akaba ari umuyobozi ushinzwe abakozi aho akora, amaze imyaka 30 ari umu-'sapeur'.

Yamea Bansimba, umugabo w'imyaka 58 ukora akazi ko kubumba amatafari, agira ati: "Mu myenda yanjye yose, uwo nkunda cyane kurusha iyindi ni ingofero yanjye".

Amaze imyaka 50 ari umu-'sapeur'.

Bamwe batangira kuba mu itsinda rya SAPE bakiri bato, nk'uyu mwana w'umuhungu Israël Mbona (wambaye ingofero itukura) w'imyaka itanu.

Amaze imyaka itatu ari umu-'sapeur'.

Nubwo akiri muto bwose, uwo mwenda acyenyeye ni uwo muri Scotland (Écosse) naho inkweto ze ni izo mu ruganda Versace rwo mu Butaliyani.

Amafoto yose ni aya Tariq Zaidi.