Mendo Ze’s family fear for his survival

By Amindeh Blaise Atabong in Yaounde

If fears expressed by the family members of the detained former CRTV general manager, Gervais Mendo Ze are anything to go by, then Kondengui may register another high profile death in the weeks or months ahead.

Mendo Ze

Mendo Ze who goes down in history as one of President Biya’s most faithful confidants who crafted all sort of gymnastics to please the presidential couple, including ornamental songs branding the First Lady as an epitome of societal morals, was arrested last Wednesday in connection to audio-visual tax money he allegedly swindled during his long reign at the helm of the state-run corporation, the CRTV.

But his arrest and detention, which have taken the entire nation aback, have cast despair in the minds of especially his family members who are now telling who ever cares to listen that the presidential couple choir master has taken ill already. “Prof. Mendo Ze is seriously suffering from depression. I was at Kondengui yesterday (last Sunday) and can tell you in confidence that his health condition is not the best. I fear for his survival...,” one of his family members, identified as Ndongo Alphonse told this reporter almost in tears. 

Mendo Ze’s arrest, last Wednesday, it should be said, came ten years after the president off-loaded him from a minor cabinet reshuffle.  Less than a week to his arrest, Mendo Ze was at the Yaounde conference centre; precisely on November 6, 2014 where he and his choral group not only thrilled CPDM militants but in songs and dance described President Biya’s coming to power as the best thing that ever happened to Cameroon. He and his choral group had also animated at the funeral of President Biya’s mother in-law in Mvomeka’a recently.

Mendo Ze is being accused of embezzling over 2.616 billion FCFA being funds accruing from audio-visual tax during his over 17 year-reign at the helm of the audio visual state corporation. He was arrested alongside four senior officials of the ministry of finance said to be also implicated in the racket.

It should be recalled that Mendo Ze’s journey to prison began right back in 2005 when he was sacked as general manager of the CRTV. That same year, he was appointed minister delegate in the ministry of communication with no assigned duties. Two years later, President Biya in a minor cabinet shake-up sent Mendo Ze packing.

In November 2008, he was summoned by an examining magistrate of the Yaounde high court in relation to the same file. In January the following year, Mendo Ze underwent scrupulous grilling by the supreme state audit which found him guilty of 13 management errors some of which included undue authorisation of benefits to some personnel of the state corporation, award of contracts without the knowledge of the competent commission, engagement of expenses not previewed in the budget of the corporation and which had no links with his missions, disbursement of undue funds to the tune of 155 MFCFA and the unjustified payment of executed contracts with money more than the initially agreed amount in the contract. The interrogators recommended that he be barred for five years from holding any public office.

Born on December 25, 1944 in Nkong Mekak in Sangmelima, (Biya’s division of origin), Mendo Ze is a prolific chorister, founder of the famous ‘La Voix du Cénacle’. He is knight of honour of the French legion, officer of La Francophonie order and of cultural dialogues, professor of stylistic French and promoter of ethno stylistics. Like Ephraim Inoni, Mendo Ze is a traditional ruler.