Kazadi was born in Katende wa Bakwa Mwanza, north of
Demba in the
Kasaï-Central region on April 24, 1925. His parents, Helene Ngalula Mulanga and Jean Dibomba Kabongo, had four children, of which Kazadi was the only son. Higher education was mainly provided by
Catholic and
Protestant missionaries. Kazadi had successfully completed high school at the
Scheut Mission of Kabwe from 1934 to 1939. He distinguished himself through his abilities and the conspicuous influence of a Catechist father, so he was sent to the
Small Seminary of Kabwe Ste Therese in December 1939, as few other choices were available to the elite. After six years of higher education, in 1946 he was admitted to the
Large Seminary of Kabwe, in order to pursue studies in
philosophy and
theology for the next eight years. Kazadi was on the path to enter priesthood after 14 years of
seminary studies, but he abandoned to protect his clan's lineage. Therefore, in 1952, he undertook career in public service. Kazadi first became the Official to the Provincial Secretariat, and later became a Specialist at the Governor Cabinet of the Kasai Province. In parallel with his administrative career, Kazadi participated in the independence struggle. Using the pen name "Kazadi wa Kabwe", he distinguished himself through his writings. In 1954, the first Congolese university,
Lovanium University, opened in Leopoldville (
Kinshasa). His ambition to acquire a better education despite his familial duties, led him to enroll in 1955 in the Political and Social Sciences Department. He received a degree in
sociology in 1960. He wrote a memoir upon completing his studies, entitled
The Life of An Unemployed in Kinshasa in 1960. During his years at Lovanium, he was nicknamed "Bismarck" due to his loyalty and firmness, based on German chancellor
Otto von Bismarck. Kazadi was fluent in Chinese, Dutch, French, English, Latin,
Swahili,
Kikongo,
Lingala, and
Ciluba. He read extensively and loved classical music, which he was also able to read. He was a proficient harmonium player. He married Madeleine Mianda Ngadu in 1953. ==Political career==