Joseph Ngalula was born on 12 December 1928 in Lusambo, Belgian Congo to a Baluba family.

[2] He served as editor of the publication Presence Congolaise, a weekly paper written by and for the Congolese population, which was placed as an insert within Le Courrier d'Afrique.

[4] On 9 August Albert Kalonji declared that the south-eastern region of the province was seceding to form the Autonomous State of South Kasai and appointed Ngalula its Prime Minister.

[6] Since he had been the person chiefly responsible for the organisation of the state, South Kasai's administration broke down following his departure.

[9] Ngalula was one of the Members of Parliament who signed an open letter to Zaire's President Mobutu Sese Seko in 1980.