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Witness

Minister of Garbage: From Rubbish to Art in Kinshasa

A Congolese artist inspires young and old to reflect on the future of Africa through his artwork.

Editor’s note: This film is no longer available to view online.

Emmanuel Botalatala is Kinshasa’s self-styled “minister of garbage”.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo capital’s working-class districts, he creates three-dimensional artworks from rubbish thrown out by the city’s residents.

Botalatala expresses his unique and bold world view of Africa through his art, fascinating young and old across the country.

At age 65 and struggling with polio, the “minister” is entering the last phase of his life penniless, but with plans to open a cultural centre to exhibit his work, train future ministers of garbage and leave a legacy.

Through his artwork and stubborn ways, this film addresses the role an artist’s vision can play in a country that is searching for itself.

Emmanuel Botalatala finds the parts that make up his artwork in Kinshasa's vast rubbish piles. [Screengrab/Al Jazeera]
Emmanuel Botalatala finds the parts that make up his artwork in Kinshasa’s vast rubbish piles. [Screengrab/Al Jazeera]