“The day will come when history will speak. But it will not be the history which will be taught in Brussels, Paris, Washington or the United Nations. It will be the history which will be taught in the countries which have won freedom from colonialism and its puppets.”
Written from prison shortly before his execution, Lumumba predicted that colonized nations, not their former colonizers, would ultimately write the true history of independence.
— Patrice Lumumba, DR Congo
Source: Patrice Lumumba, letter from Thysville Prison to Pauline Lumumba (1960-1961)
More Proverbs from DR Congo
The nuts from a palm tree do not fall without dragging a few leaves with them.
Every significant action causes some collateral effect; nothing important happens without consequences.
No matter how full the river is, it still wants to grow.
Ambition and desire for more have no natural limit, even for those who already have plenty.
Do not cut off the monkey's tail before it is dead.
Do not act on an outcome before it is certain; finish the task fully before celebrating or moving on.
Pride goes only as far as one can spit.
Arrogance has real limits; boasting cannot carry a person further than their true ability.
The iron never takes advice from the hammer.
Those who are constantly struck down by hardship rarely trust the one causing it, however well-meant the lesson.
Little by little, the bananas grow.
Patience and steady effort over time bring results that cannot be rushed.