Manuel III of Kongo
Manuel circa 1912
Reign	1911 – 1914
Predecessor	Manuel Nkomba of Kongo
Successor	Monarchy abolished
Born	1872
Died	1927
Father	Pedro VI of Kongo

Manuel III Afonso of Kongo, previously Manuel Martins Kiditu, was the last Mwenekongo (ruler) of the Kingdom of Kongo, ruling as a vassal of the Portuguese empire from 1911 to 1914.^[1]

He was educated at Portuguese schools in Luanda and Huila. In 1893, he was hired as a page for Álvaro XIV of Kongo. He worked as an interpreter before settling in São Salvador in 1909. The royal family of Kongo chose him as ruler in 1911, on the death of Manuel Nkomba of Kongo. He was later described as "wise in the ways and customs of white men".^[2]

Manuel's reign over the reduced territory of the kingdom was ended by a revolt in 1914, at which point the Portuguese abolished the kingdom and assimilated the territory into the colony of Angola. By 1915, Manuel III also lost much of his claim to the throne, as the royal family recognized Álvaro XV Afonso Nzinga as ruler instead. He died of tuberculosis in 1927.

References

^ Ben Cahoon. "Angola Traditional states". worldstatesmen.org. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
^ Maria Emília Madeira Santos, A Africa e a instalação do sistema colonial (c.1885-c.1930): III Reunião Internacional de História de África (Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical, Centro de Estudos de História e Cartografia Antiga, 2000), p. 357

Preceded byManuel Nkomba of Kongo (regented from 1896-1910) Manikongo 1911 to 1914 Succeeded byMonarchy abolished

v t e Rulers of the Kingdom of Kongo
Awenekongo of the Kilukeni kanda (1390–1567)	Lukeni lua Nimi Nanga of Kongo Nlaza of Kongo Nkuwu a Ntinu of Kongo João I of Kongo Afonso I of Kongo Pedro I of Kongo Diogo I Nkumbi a Mpudi Afonso II of Kongo Bernardo I of Kongo Henrique I of Kongo
Awenekongo of the Kwilu kanda (1567–1622)	Álvaro I of Kongo Álvaro II of Kongo Bernardo II of Kongo Álvaro III of Kongo
Awenekongo of the Nkanga a Mvika kanda (1622–1626)	Pedro II of Kongo Garcia I of Kongo
Mwenekongo of the Kwilu kanda (1626–1636)	Ambrósio I of Kongo Álvaro IV of Kongo
Awenekongo of the Kimpanzu kanda (1636)	Álvaro V of Kongo
Awenekongo of the Kinlaza kanda (1636–1665)	Álvaro VI of Kongo Garcia II of Kongo António I of Kongo
Civil War Awenekongo (1665–1678)	Afonso II of Kongo and Nkondo Álvaro VII of Kongo Álvaro VIII of Kongo Pedro III of Kongo Álvaro IX of Kongo Rafael I of Kongo Afonso III of Kongo Daniel I of Kongo
Post-Civil War states	Garcia III of Kibangu André I of Kibangu Manuel I of Kibangu Álvaro X of Kibangu Pedro IV of Kongo Pedro III of Kongo João II of Lemba Manuel II of Kongo
Awenekongo after the recapture of São Salvador (1709–1891)	Pedro IV of Kongo Manuel II of Kongo Garcia IV of Kongo Nicolau I of Kongo Afonso IV of Kongo António II of Kongo Sebastião I of Kongo "Pedro V" Álvaro XI of Kongo José I of Kongo Afonso V of Kongo Álvaro XII of Kongo Aleixo I of Kongo Joaquim I of Kongo Henrique II of Kongo Garcia V of Kongo André II of Kongo Henrique III of Kongo Álvaro XIII of Kongo Pedro V of Kongo
Awenekongo after 1881 vassalage treaty with Portugal (1891–1914)	Álvaro XIV of Kongo Henrique IV of Kongo Pedro VI of Kongo Manuel Nkomba of Kongo Manuel III of Kongo
Pretenders to the Kongo throne since 1914	Alvaro XV of Kongo Pedro VII of Kongo António III of Kongo Isabel Maria da Gama, Q of Kongo (regent) Pedro VIII of Kongo Isabel Maria da Gama of Kongo (regent)