According to a balance sheet presented last Friday by the government, since August last year the rains have caused the death of more than 300 people and left 66,000 people homeless.
In Luanda, ten people have died since last week as a result of torrential rains.
In a statement, the parliamentary group of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), expressed its “deeply touched by the dramatic situation” and expressed its solidarity with the families of the victims of this natural disaster, addressing feelings of regret for the deaths .
UNITA deputies also ask the executive to strive “to find lasting solutions to the problem of rainwater drainage in Luanda and in other cities and towns in Angola”, listening to suggestions from specialists, environmentalists, academics, universities, traditional authorities and others. social actors, who can help design the appropriate measures and solutions to mitigate the damage resulting from cyclical natural phenomena.
He also points to the need for the State to take “structuring decisions such as the effective institutionalization of local authorities” and asks that political responsibilities be assumed “and not facilitative attitudes that reduce the exclusivity of causes to the indiscipline of citizens for having built in risk areas that the State Administration allowed”.
UNITA stresses that “the State has a constitutional and legal obligation” to ensure urban planning and land use, as well as the defense of life and human dignity and the safety of people, families and companies.
“Therefore, the Executive cannot escape the responsibility of defining the general orientation of public policies, their execution, evaluation and accountability”, concludes the parliamentary group of the largest opposition party.
