The retired generals, superiors, captains and subordinates of Angola have complained about cuts in their pensions and in the allowances of domestic workers since 2009, claiming to be out of luck and without any means of subsistence for families.
The "indignation" of former reform officials, widows and orphans was presented to the press this Thursday in a public complaint where they mirror the "critical and dramatic" picture in which the more than 1600 associate members find themselves.
More than 300 people, including retired officers, widows and orphans, "aggravated by the situation", participated in the meeting, which took place on the premises of the old Luanda People's Fair.
The president of the Association of General Officers, Superiors, Captains and Reformed Subalterns of Angola, José Alberto "Limuqueno", asked "heartily", on the occasion, the intervention of the President for the settlement of the debt by degree of patent.
For the 65-year-old brigadier, who was compulsorily retired in 2004, the penalty they claim to be subject to comes from Decree-Law 16/94 of 10 August, which "unfairly" safeguards only pensions for those aged 30 20 Angolan Armed Forces (FAA).
"The discounts given to us are incalculable and we all plunged into extreme poverty because we were not 30 years old with the FAA, which were founded in October 1992. They [the FAA] have nothing to do with us because we were military before the FAA" , said.
According to the reform official, cuts in pensions and subsidies for domestic workers began in 2009, and members have been "penalized" for 11 years with monthly cuts between 70,000 and 200,000 kwanzas.
The total accumulated debt, he said, is estimated at 130 billion kwanzas.
"It is sad and shameful, that retirement pension that they cut us is creating a great discontent, we are all aggravated, poverty is taking over everyone", he lamented.
"We are walking every day, we are not entitled to means of transport, home, food ... There are colleagues of ours who are in the garbage container looking for food, the suffering is too much, it is taking highly complicated contours" , he stressed.
Brigadier Limuqueno also noted that, in 2015, the former President José Eduardo dos Santos, had guided similar structures to settle the debt, but so far the picture has not changed, asking now for João Lourenço's intervention.
"We kindly ask President João Lourenço, FAA commander in chief, to order the executive to pay our money according to the rank of each one so that we can survive with dignity," he stressed.
"Several demonstrations" of protest have been suspended in recent years, including the last, scheduled for 7 November 2020, under "promises from the authorities" to pay the debt, but this has not been fulfilled.
"If the month of January ends and we are not paid the money, on the 20th or 21st of February we will go out into the street, the temperature is rising. If Comrade President [João Lourenço] does not pay our money he can count on us at the presidential palace ", he assured.
The "dramatic situation" as general officers undergoing reform in Angola was also reiterated by Bernardo Miguel, a retired brigadier, who blames President João Loureço for the shortage to which they say they are subjected.
Isabel Luís, widow of a former colonel, also asked for the President's "benevolence" to resolve her concerns, saying she is with her children outside the education system and "garbage is often the resource of the little ones for food ".
"We only ask at least so that these poor widows can be taken care of and, if they do not take care of us, we go to the Palace without clothes, with tied or even naked bags," she shot.
"Sad" for not receiving, for two, the "tiny" retirement pension on behalf of the deceased husband, is the widow Celeste Pedro António, 54, also asking for the replacement of her rights.
A partial payment of the debt is also advocated by general officers, superiors, captains and subordinates in the reform, who do not accept the "international crisis or covid-19 argument" to solve their problems.
