A movement started by activists is calling on Angolans, through social networks, to stay at home on March 31, as a form of protest against unemployment and poor living conditions.
O The appeal was launched by the activist Gangsta and has been mobilizing several personalities who guarantee, through their pages on social networks, that they will join the protest.
Among these are musicians like Paulo Flores, the businesswoman, former MPLA deputy and daughter of former Angolan president Tchizé dos Santos, activists like Laurinda Gouveia and Dito Dali, who were part of the “15+2”, condemned for preparatory acts of rebellion, or UNITA militants like Ginga Savimbi, daughter of the founder of the largest opposition party that the MPLA still allows, Jonas Savimbi, or deputy Adriano Sapinala, from the same party.
“Join the movement, stay at home on the 31st”, says the well-known artist Paulo Flores, asking: “nobody leaves home, nobody leaves Kubico”.
“I listened to Paulo’s advice and joined the strike on March 31, as strikes are a constitutional right for all Angolans. On the 31st I will stay at home and everything I do related to Angola will stop ”, guarantees businesswoman Tchizé dos Santos, stressing that she will close her restaurant.
Laura Macedo, a member of Angolan civil society, underlines on her Facebook page that the demonstration being called is one of the ways in which Angolans will not be “assaulted by the forces commanded by the Guardians of the Dictatorship”. “The Police and their Dogs will not be able to snap us up,” she wrote.
“Good morning Angola, on the 31st the password is to stay at home”, wrote deputy Adriano Sapiñala on his Facebook page.
The activist Gangsta, who is in an uncertain location, has been calling on various social classes, including artists, doctors, teachers and taxi drivers, to mobilize and join the silent “Stay at Home” protest.
Scattered through WhatsApp groups and social networks, there are also appeals to the contrary, such as “I’m going to bumbar (work) on the 31st” or “Say yes to work”.
STAY AT HOME? MORE OF THE SAME
En October 2019, the spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior of Angola, Valdemar José, stated that the Angolan intelligence services were attentive to the planned demonstrations at the time and warned of their consequences if the law was violated.
Thankfully Valdemar José warned. This proved, once again, that according to the MPLA, the only way not to violate the law is not to demonstrate. But even if they don’t, they may be violating the law because, according to the thesis of the party that has governed us for 47 years, not holding demonstrations can be understood as a form of… demonstration.
The Deputy Commissioner of the National Police (from the MPLA), who at the time was speaking on the MPLA public channel, TPA, denounced “unconfessed” interests in creating instability in the country and underlined that Angolans have the right to demonstrate, but must comply with the law , after the appeals circulated – as now – on social media, mobilizing the Angolan population to stay at home.
However, the calls for peaceful protest against the government of João Lourenço had no visible effects in Luanda, according to reports in some media, including Lusa. They forgot that the mere fact that the President of the MPLA (by the way, also President of the Republic and holder of the Executive Power) was compelled to speak about the demonstration proved that the mobilization, even if only symbolic and academic, was a success.
At the time, there was a harsh speech by the President of the Republic, at the opening of the congress of the JMPLA (youth body of the MPLA), with João Lourenço, accusing supposed militants of his party (which, as it should be, he did not identify), the MPLA , of using public funds diverted to pay for a campaign against Angola. Deviated, probably, also when João Lourenço was vice-president of the MPLA and even minister of José Eduardo dos Santos.
Then, in a special information program on state television (i.e. MPLA), TPA, on the theme “Freedom of demonstration vs. Social Stability” where the four participants (a representative of the Ministry of the Interior, a pastor, an entrepreneur and a sociologist) presented – without contradiction, as is the rule in any self-respecting dictatorship – their reasons for Angolans not to join the movement .
On the programme, Valdemar José warned of the consequences of the demonstrations, brilliantly recalling that the protests intend to reach the sovereign bodies, which is prohibited by Angolan law and considered that some of these protests are “to provoke”. Strange. If not to provoke, does anyone protest? MPLA sepoys there know.
Citizens can demonstrate “if they respect the previous assumptions”, including communicating to the authorities, not approaching less than 100 meters from the sovereign bodies and complying with the defined days and hours, he added, indicating that the Police (which is from the MPLA and not the country) “cannot allow demonstrators to destroy public property or jeopardize the safety of citizens”.
The head of the Police said that some instigators of the movement “have already been in the State apparatus” and have “unconfessed” interests in creating “instability in the country”. Could it be that they were formed by Jonas Savimbi? Probably yes.
Regarding the silent demonstration, Valdemar José stated that it would be “a barometer” to see who would join the next demonstrations. It wasn’t bad. Therefore, let no one remain silent, so that the Police know that those who speak do not demonstrate…
In preparation, there is, in fact, legislation on the part of the MPLA so that the demonstrations can only take place once a month, but with several exceptions and with established days. That is: February 30th; April 31st; June 31st; September 31st and November 31st.
“These demonstrations take place on a Monday and a Tuesday, they want to do it during the day, just to provoke”, insisted the sepoy Valdemar José, thus giving democratic fulfillment to superior orders.
Valdemar José appealed to the population not to join this protest whose purpose “is not just to demonstrate, but to destabilize the country”, also warning that “almost all demonstrations end in violence”.
Could it be that these MPLA guys can’t be more original and not limit themselves to debiting the words, phrases, ideas of the head of the post, just as he uses them?
The Interior Ministry spokesman admitted that “there are social problems, but stressed that the Angolan executive “is working to overcome them” and questioned “what benefits” do movements like the call to stay at home bring to the country? No. It’s no use explaining. All the “Valdemar José” of the MPLA would have to take off their shoes in order to be able to count to 12 and that would be inconvenient.