Bernadette Mobutu
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| Political position(s): | Minister of education of Zaïre |
| Term of Office: | March 5, 2006-present |
| Predecessor: | Paul Musafiri |
| Successor: | NA |
| Birthdate | June 27, 1977 |
| Place of Birth: | Kinshasa, Zaïre |
| Spouse | NA |
| Children | NA |
| Profession | Statesman, School teacher |
| Political party | Mouvement Populaire de la Révolution (MPR) |
| Languages spoken | French, English, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Ngbandi, Lingala, Kiswahili, Kikongo, Tshilunda |
| Religion | Kimbanguist |
| Philosophy | Mobutism |
| Degrees |
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Bernadette Mobutu, the second child (and only daughter) of President Léopold Honoré Mobutu, is Zaïre's minister of education. She is a former school teacher and college professor, who has taught children and young adults of all ages, in a variety of subjects, ranging from mathematics to science to humanities. Known for her modest, unassuming nature and gentle, compassionate demeanor, she was popular with all her students. Her beauty turned the heads of many Zaïrian men, but her father, very protective of his "little girl," scared many of them off. Not wanting to incur his wrath, few men made advances. However, there is one man Mobutu regards very highly, Dr. Yusuf Amin, who he has been trying to set up with his daughter for quite some time. Both are single and share a mutual attraction, yet neither has found the courage to make overtures toward the other. Mobutu, a sort of father figure to Dr. Amin, regards Yusuf as one of his own sons, and does everything possible to bring about a blossoming relationship between him and Bernadette.
Bernadette is one of the few cabinet members actually qualified for her job. While most people were appointed based more on sycophany than merit, she was well qualified for the position (although she would have gotten it anyway, being the daughter of Mobutu). However, there has recently been friction between her and her father over the (anemic) education budget. She feels (quite rightly) that the President shows far more interest in self-enrichment than in developing the nation. She has agitated for quite some time in favor of increases in the budget, but has elicited nothing more than empty promises from her father. However, due to both diffidence on her part and the fact that openly confronting a parent is a cultural taboo, she rarely confronts him directly.
Her hobbies are bird watching, ballroom dancing, singing, painting, and going on leisurely strolls. She is also a prominent political activist, and plays a leading role in several women's rights, children's rights, and environmentalist organizations.
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Royaume de Zaïre |
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| Main article: Zaïre | ||
| Government: Léopold Honoré Mobutu, Victor Ngbanda, Mouvement Populaire de la Révolution | ||
| Military: Forces Armées Zaïrois | ||
| Corporations: Gécamines, MIBA, TriPetal (article by Laurasia) | ||
