The stoppage of taxi drivers in Luanda, which was marked by acts of vandalism, was promoted by three associations of taxi drivers, namely the Association of Taxi Drivers of Luanda (ATL), the Associação Nova Aliança dos Taxistas de Angola (ANATA) and the Association of Taxi Drivers of Angola (ATA), and the taxi driver cooperatives did not join the strike.
During the strike, there were several incidents, including the destruction of a bus of the Ministry of Health and the district committee of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA, in power) in Benfica, south of Luanda, which was set on fire.
This Monday, at a meeting promoted by the government of the province of Luanda, led by governor Ana Paula de Carvalho, taxi driver cooperatives condemned the acts of vandalism and denounced aggressions, robberies and threats that they say they were the target of for not joining the strike.
The situation was reported by the president of the Cooperativa dos Taxistas Unidos de Angola and coordinator of the committee of associations and cooperatives in the sector, Leonardo Lopes, attributing the attacks, threats and assaults on their homes to the three associations.
"We are being the target of threats and aggression from these three associations, so we have already opened a criminal complaint because we simply defend the class and not personal benefits", said Leonardo Lopes.
Manuel Francisco, a member of the taxi drivers' cooperative in Luanda, also repudiated the scenes of vandalism and said that his organization did not join the strike because "it is against vandalism and in favor of dialogue".
Speaking to Lusa, the president of ANATA, Francisco Patient, denied the accusations of the cooperatives, guaranteeing that a criminal case will be filed in which they will have to prove the accusations they impute to the taxi driver associations.
"Those who accuse associations of aggression will have to prove it, we will promote the competent process for these cooperative leaders to prove what they are saying," he said.
For Francisco Patient, who considers that the meeting between the government of Luanda and taxi driver cooperatives "only aims to create islands between the class", those responsible for the cooperatives "are the ones who allegedly stirred people to create disturbances".
The president of ANATA also mentioned that the three associations did not include the cooperatives in the call for the strike because they "have different purposes".
The need for a professional card, registration with the National Institute of Social Security (INSS) and the definition of specific stops for taxis were some of the concerns presented this Monday to the governor of Luanda by the cooperatives.
Ana Paula de Carvalho guaranteed, on the occasion, that a joint working committee, made up of taxi drivers and members of her government, will be created to work with the Ministry of Transport on the issue of registration with the INSS and the professional card.
The deputy governor of Luanda for the Economic Sector, Lino Quienda, will be the representative of the Government of Luanda in the aforementioned joint work commission.
The MPLA's Luanda provincial secretary, Bento Bento, and the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, insinuated that the incidents were politically motivated, blaming the main opposition party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), which demarcated and condemned the vandalism, denying any responsibility.
