GATE2019 ME-1: GA-8

Question

Congo was named by Europeans, Congo’s dictator Mobuto later changed the name of the county and the river to Zaire with the objective of Africanising names of persons and spaces. However, the name Zaire was a Portuguese alteration of Nzadi o Nzere, a local African term meaning ‘River that swallows Rivers’. Zaire was the Portuguese name for the Congo river in the $16$th and $17$th centuries.

Which one of the following statements can be inferred from the paragraph above?

• A. Mobuto was not entirely successful in Africanising the name of his country
• B. The term Nzadi o Nzere was of Portuguese origin
• C. Mobuto’s desire to Africanise names was prevented by the Portuguese
• D. As a dictator Mobuto ordered the Portuguese to alter the name of the river to Zaire

Answer 1

As the paragraph states, dictator Mobuto wanted to Africanise the name of Congo but could not succeed as the new name given to the country was a Portuguese alteration. So, option (A) is correct. 

Option (B) is wrong as the term Nzadi o Nzere is a local African term as per the passage.

There is no detail about any confrontation between Mobuto and Portuguese in the passage. So, options C and D are wrong.

Correct answer is $(A).$