"These changes will significantly decrease personnel costs but, more importantly, will help to diminish the power of José Eduardo dos Santos and increase the goal of political consolidation of João Lourenço," write the analysts.
In a comment sent to clients and to which Lusa had access, analysts say that this month's government reshuffle, which reduced the government from 28 to 21 ministers, promoted "several technocrats who will also help João Lourenço to continue his reformist agenda despite the deterioration of economic prospects".
On April 6, João Lourenço made public the list of new members of the executive, which shrank from 28 to 21 ministries, highlighting the departure of Manuel Augusto, from Foreign Affairs, replaced by his secretary of state Tete António.
The long list of resignations disclosed by the Civil House of João Lourenço includes 17 ministers and 24 secretaries of State, as well as the Secretary of the President of the Republic for Political, Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs and the Director of the Office of Psychological Action and Information of the Security House of the President of the Republic.
Many of the leaders have portfolios, but Adjany Costa, the young biologist who won a United Nations award for the most distinguished environmentalists last year, will in fact be a new face in the executive, taking on a super-ministry that brings together Culture, Tourism and the Environment.
Former ministers Maria da Piedade Jesus, Maria Ângela Bragança and Paula Coelho are from abroad.
Manuel Gomes da Conceição Homem debuts in the new Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technology and Media, until now divided between Telecommunications and Information Technology, headed by José Carvalho da Rocha, and Media, headed by Nuno Caldas Albino.
This, in turn, will be the new Secretary of State for Social Communication, leaving out Celso Malavoleneke.
Diamantino Pedro Azevedo, Minister of Mineral Resources and Oil, who joins Gas to his department, as well as Manuel Tavares de Almeida, Minister of Construction and Public Works, now responsible for Public Works and Spatial Planning, previously assumed by Ana Paula Carvalho.
