Family dey in pain as goment still neva give Congo star befitting burial

Di family of legendary Congolese guitarist Lokassa ya Mbongo tok say dem dey go through "unbearable pain" and "humiliation" as dem dey wait for goment to help dem wit di burial, almost seven months afta im death.

Lokassa body dey lie for one mortuary for Democratic Republic Congo capital Kinshasa afta dem fly am back from di US according to im wish say make dem bury am for im kontri.

Im son André Marie Lokassa tell BBC say, goment bin promise to help dem organise burial wey go dey "worthy" of di music star name, but so far dem neva do am.

One local charity for artists, tok say na di disagreement within di family cause di delay.

One communication official for di Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, Magloire Paluku, no gree comment on di mata wen BBC ask am, e say make dem ask di family any question wey dem get.

Oga Lokassa tell di BBC say di family don submit one budget request of $75,000 (£61,000) give di goment for funeral costs, but goment neva approve am, and dis don leave di family for confusion.

"Na humiliation," Oga Lokassa tok, e add say di delay dey cause tension for di family.

Wit di mortuary bill wey don pass $4,000, di family dey hope to bury im father by mid-October even if goment no help, Mr Lokassa tok.

"If things continue to drag, we go dey forced to apply plan B," e add.

Lokassa niece Nicole Londala follow blame goment for di delay, she say dem neva fulfil dia promise to finance di burial.

"We bin first hope say dm go arrange di funeral in five or 10 days. E dey painful say since 15 April, we still dey wait to do di funeral," Ms Londala tell BBC.

Who be Lokassa ya Mbongo

Lokassa ya Mbongo, wey im real name na Denis Kasiya Lokassa, die for di age of 77 afta e battle wit diabetes and complications from one mild stroke e suffer for 2020.

E be one of DR Congo best rhythm guitarists, but spend most of im career for di French capital, Paris, wia e lead di Soukous Stars band since 1984.

He later team up wit singer Sam Mangwana for Ivory Coast, to form di African All Stars.

Di guitarist dey remembered for popular compositions like Bonne Annee, Monica, Marie-Josse, Lagos Night and Nairobi Night.

E move go US for 1996, wia e live until im death for March. Dem fly im body go DR Congo di following month.

No blame goment for did delay - Activist

However, Artist in Danger, one charity group for artists for DR Congo, suggest say make dem no blame di goment for di delay in burial, e say na di disagreement for di musician family on top who go lead di burial plans cause di delay.

Di leader of di group, Tsaka Kongo, tell di BBC say di family suppose present one letter to di authorities wey say dem agree to end dia fight and allow goment arrange di burial.

Lokassa family approach me say make I help dem rush di funeral process but dem wan do am alone, wey I agree wit. Di [burial] delay dey shocking, my wish na say dem go find solution as soon as possible," Oga Kongo tok.

Oda Congolese musician wey dia burial

For April, dem fly di body of anoda popular Congolese musician Saak Sinatra Sakul from Paris to Kinshasa for burial.

Di family bin dey hope say goment go help wit im funeral, but relatives don bury am on dia own because of fears say im body fit start to decay as na casket dem keep am for about 10 days instead of mortuary.

Sakul na member of di Kinshasa-based band, Orchestre Sosoliso Trio Madjesi.

Oda Congolese musicians don also wait for months afta dia death before dem bury dem.

These include composer and saxophonist Kiamuangana Mateta Verckys, wey die for October last year and dem bury am for December and jazz star Lutumba Simaro Masiya, wey die for March 2019 and dem lay am to rest for May dat year.