In the 1967 presidential election, Mobutu won with an implausible 98.33% of voters who voted. It should be noted that Mobutu was the only candidate. Voters were offered two ballot choices: green for hope and red for chaos. Mobutu won with a vote of 10,131,699 to 157.
Mobutu changed the name of the Congo to Zaire in 1971. He changed the names of many of the cities. Leopoldville became Kinshasa. He ordered the people to drop their European names in exchange for African names. Mobutu warned priests that they would face five years in prison if they were caught baptizing a Zairean child with a European name. Western attire and ties were banned, and men were forced to wear a Mao-style tunic.
In 1972, Mobutu tried unsuccessfully to have himself named president for life. He was again re-elected in single candidate elections in 1977 and 1984. He spent most of his time increasing his personal fortune. He became notorious for the corruption and the embezzlement of an estimated $4 billion – $15 billion from selling the nation’s rich natural resources.
Mobutu owned a fleet of Mercedes-Benz vehicles that he used to travel between his numerous palaces. Meanwhile, the nation’s roads deteriorated and the people starved. The infrastructure virtually collapsed. Many public service workers went months without being paid.
In Dr. Jerry Galloway’s letters he often described the hardships that the people endured during Mobutu’s reign.
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