Kinzau-Mvuete (or Kinzao) is a town in the

Kongo Central Kongo Central ( kg, Kongo dia Kati ), formerly Bas-Congo is one of the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Matadi. History At the time of independence, the area now encompassing Kongo Central was part of the g ...

province of the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

, about north of

Matadi Matadi is the chief sea port of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the capital of the Kongo Central province, adjacent to the border with Angola. It had a population of 245,862 (2004). Matadi is situated on the left bank of the Congo River, ...

. It had an estimated population of 18,676 as of 2012. The commune (municipality) of Kinzau-Mvuete is one of the eight administrative divisions of

Seke-Banza Territory Seke-Banza Territory is an administrative area of the Kongo Central province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the north of the city of Matadi. The administrative center is the town of Seke-Banza. The territory is divided into five sect ...

. It is at a crossroads, and is a center of trade for the territory with large urban centers such as Muanda, Boma, Matadi and Kinshasa. In June 2007 it was reported that the road running north from Kinzao to

Seke-Banza Seke-Banza is a community in Kongo Central province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the seat of the Seke-Banza territory A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person ...

was in an advanced state of deterioration following torrential rains. The authorities were planning to raise money to fill the potholes through tolls. The area around the town has been illegally deforested, with the wood used to make charcoal or as lumber for construction. In 2009 it was reported that poaching was widespread in the nearby

Mayumbe Mayombe (or Mayumbe) is a geographic area on the western coast of Africa occupied by low mountains extending from the mouth of the Congo River in the south to the Kouilou-Niari River to the north. The area includes parts of the Democratic Republi ...

forest, with villagers killing any animal they could catch and smoking the meat for sale. Some species such as wild boar and porcupine were at risk of being wiped out in the region. The Higher Institute of Rural Development (ISDR) in Kinzau Mvuete was founded in 1993 and opened in February 1994. It provides training in practical agricultural techniques. As of February 2009 there were recurrent shortages of drinking water due to lack of supply pumps. Education on family planning is lacking, and sexual violence is common. According to the health center, 75 adolescent girls aged 13 to 17 became pregnant in 2009.

References

Populated places in Kongo Central {{DRCongo-geo-stub