Background
Tadi Lewa Ndongala was born in 1933 at Kumbi in Kongo Central (Bas Congo).
Tadi Lewa Ndongala was born in 1933 at Kumbi in Kongo Central (Bas Congo).
Educated at the Jean Baptiste de la Salle Institute at Tumba, Lukala. He went to Lovanium University and took a degree in economics in 1963 and then specialised in agriculture and rural economics in post-university studies, getting a doctorate at Lovanium.
He started his career as a research worker in Lovanium and organised a political science course at the university in 1967. In 1968 he joined the ONRD, the National Research and Development Office, to do economic and financial research and then moved on to the National Bank of the Congo as commissar in charge of accounting.
In March 1969 he got his first vice-ministerial post in charge of Scientific Research, followed by Vice-Ministries in Agriculture, the National Economy and finance, finally becoming a full Minister of the National Economy on February 21, 1972, in place of Joseph Mbeka.
One of the new wave of technocrats that President Mobutu has brought into his government. A highly trained economist, financial expert and statistician with university, banking and government experience. Known to be courageous and not afraid to criticise government policy when he thinks it is on the wrong lines.