Pweto

Pweto is a 918 m high city with 20,000 inhabitants ( 2006) on the northwest shore of the Mwerusees in the Katanga province of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Pweto lives as any place on Lake Mweru on fishing and is just like any place in isolation without motorable roads inland on the Congolese side. Each trade takes place on the lake. With UN funding, a market was built in 2004, but the ultimate trading venues Nchelenge and Kashikishi in Zambia. The only point of contact for domestic is the dirt-track 1,200 m runway. Another source of income is agriculture. The houses here are built from solid bamboo frame and covered with grass. There is no drinking water and no electricity.

To the west, the Mitumba Mountains, which is like a giant barrier between the lake and the Congo Basin rises. Just outside the town is the outflow of the Luvua, the lake level lowers its raging maelstrom here by a few meters. To the north and east, a fertile plain spreads out, however, largely one of Zambia.

Even in 2006 dominate the city refugees. 10,000 of them are supplied here by UNHCR.

Sons and daughters of the city

• Augustin Katumba Mwanke (1963-2012), politician