Clients of companies from Isabel dos Santos in Angola, whose holdings were seized by court order, dismiss political persecution in the process, citing an opportunity for the "successful businesswoman" to show the source of their income to the court.
"Maybe she (Isabel dos Santos) should be grateful for not being prosecuted and not being detained," told Lusa Elcides Afonso, 21, outside the Candando supermarket in the center of the capital, owned by the businesswoman. The two biggest symbols of the businesswoman, who has stakes in banks and various companies, are Candando and telecommunications operator Unitel.
Speaking to Lusa, leaving the supermarket, the engineering student dismissed the possibility of the act being considered as political persecution: "Because she (Isabel dos Santos) must and should pay".
The state lawsuit, announced on December 30, 2019, "is legal," argued Elcides Afonso, arguing that "they are state monies" that were used in the acquisition of other companies and their "non-return conditions the Government to invest in other sectors".
For the young, Isabel dos Santos to be a "successful businesswoman on her journey had the favor of her father," José Eduardo dos Santos.
The Luanda Provincial Court announced on December 30 the pre-emptive seizure of personal bank accounts of Isabel dos Santos, her husband, Sindika Dokolo, and Portuguese Mário da Silva, in addition to participating in nine companies in which the former president's daughter owns social participations.
Isabel dos Santos is one of the largest national employers, with stakes in banks BIC and BFA, in Unitel, Finstar, Investment and Participation Society, ZAP Media, Cimangola II, Condis (distribution company that owns the Candando hypermarket brand), Mainland Angola and Sodiba.
For Elcides Afonso, the Luanda court measure allows Angola to show the international community that it is fighting corruption.
For her part, student Andreia Pitra said she was aware of the arrest of Isabel dos Santos' stakes, fearing, however, that the legal measure would affect the jobs of current employees of the target companies.
"I think things could be resolved differently, given that these companies have many families there and this clash could lead to the closure of these companies and is more population that can go to unemployment," he told Lusa.
A Unitel client for 15 years, Andreia Pitra does not want to believe that the ongoing process has its origin in political persecution, but admits that the businesswoman has benefited from José Eduardo dos Santos, who ruled Angola for 38 years.
“Anyone would act the same way: if I am in power and if my daughter has the possibility of investing I think I would act the same way,” he said, adding, “I think the court ruling, in part, blurs the image a lot more. Hers (Isabel dos Santos) for being a businesswoman with an international dimension, I think it lowers a little [her] credibility ". "Which was unnecessary, because she (Isabel dos Santos) is very good at what she does," he shot.
Public servant Rogério Mariano Vunge, on the other hand, assumes that Isabel dos Santos "is a successful businesswoman", considering that a state decision reveals "some irregularity" that Isabel must prove.
"Because if the state made that decision is because there is some irregularity and if it has nothing to fear it (Isabel dos Santos) can come and prove it, because there was a time that was given to justify something and in that period it can appear", said.
Client Unitel dismisses any persecution against the businesswoman, noting that former Angolan ministers and deputies have already been targeted by the court "as a result of the mistakes of the former government".
"In the old governance there were a lot of mistakes and I think now is the time to sit down and talk about these deviations, mistakes made in past governance," he said.
Pedro António, elevator technician and Unitel client, says Isabel dos Santos has a way of defending herself before the Angolan authorities, hoping that the companies will remain functional "because they help thousands of people".
