At issue is the rise in the price of public transport, buses for 150 kwanzas and informal private taxis for 200 kwanzas, last week.
The movement held a press conference this Wednesday, which was attended by some students, armed with posters with sayings such as "MEA against increase in public transport – 150 is a lot" and "My Need Cannot Condition My Studies, 150 Kzs is a lot."
There was also a considerable number of police officers at the scene.
The president of the MEA, Francisco Teixeira, stated that the movement will propose to the Government that the exemption for some students between the ages of six and 15 be extended to everyone, that is, up to higher education.
“We are not happy with this attitude of the State, once again violating students’ rights. We are united today in favor of social justice, the defense of our rights and our freedoms, which are violated every day by a bad, insensitive Government that clearly shows itself to be an enemy of education”, said Francisco Teixeira.
The student leader highlighted that “education today constitutes not only a right, but a human need”, a constitutional right established in article 23, with “the principle of equality”.
“No one can be harmed or privileged, deprived of any right or exempt from any duty due to their economic condition. One hundred and fifty kwanzas for public transport is a lot, our proposal is that it goes down to 70 kwanzas”, he declared.
“We are also proposing to the Government to create conditions for all students from the first [class] to higher education to have the right to a student social pass”, he added.
Francisco Teixeira also spoke out against the charge of 1000 kwanzas by the National Integrated Ticketing Company (ENBI) so that students aged between six and 15, attending up to the 9th grade, benefit from the social pass, which entitles them to 60 free trips per month.
“The student social pass is free, the ticket office cannot charge 1000 kwanzas for each pass, we do not agree. We want to show our school card and give us our social pass and use public transport,” he declared.
ENBI requires the purchase of a social pass, together with identification documents, to cost 1000 kwanzas.
According to Francisco Teixeira, due to the rise in prices, there are students “walking from here [1.º de Maio area] to Congolenses (between six and seven kilometers), from here to Palanca (approximately eight kilometers)”.
“This measure will certainly increase students’ difficulties in accessing classes. What will happen to students who live in areas very far from our schools, what about students who have difficulty paying 150 or 200 kwanzas for blue and white taxis [informal taxis]”, he expressed.
In turn, speaking to the press, the vice-president of the MEA, Joaquim Lutandi, said that this Wednesday's act was a launch of subsequent steps, which include the presentation of the MEA's proposals to the Provincial Government of Luanda and the executive, with a seven-day deadline for responses, and raising awareness and mobilizing students to take to the streets.
“We will not be satisfied with an unfair measure, so if we have to mobilize students onto the streets, we will and will carry out incessant demonstrations until the Government retreats from this unfair measure”, he stated.
Joaquim Lutandi said that students will also demand dignified treatment when it comes to transport, in particular, on buses.
“We will also demand dignity, that students be transported as people and not as if they were animals”, he highlighted.
