Bene M’poko said he had to close the embassy until 4 January because he fears for the safety of his staff after protests in front of the offices turned violent on Tuesday.
Congolese nationals living in South Africa clashed with police while expressing their dissatisfaction with Kabila’s refusal to step down.
His term expired on Tuesday but he remains in office.
With violent protests tearing through the DRC resident’s living outside that country marched on Congolese embassies across the world.
In Pretoria, scores of Congolese nationals tried to force entry into the DRC embassy but were met by rubber bullets from the police.
The Department of International Relations’ Clayson Monyela says the current situation in the DRC is a worry to the South African government.
“And we, accordingly, call on all parties to seek only peaceful resolutions.”
Monyela says all the relevant parties should exercise restraint and take urgent steps to end the violence in the DRC which he says would also contribute to peace in the SADC region.
It is unclear if Kabila will agree to the call to step down which may also end the violence in the DRC.
