"What is happening with content vehicles and other media suspended and/or closed due to the change in legislation proposed by the MPLA party and its Government, with the support of the qualified majority in parliament achieved who knows how , it is truly regrettable in a country where the government had promised to promote 500,000 jobs in 2017", declared Tchizé dos Santos to Lusa.
The operator DSTv, owned by the South African company Multichoice, announced at the end of last week that it will withdraw from its platform Vida TV, one of the three channels suspended since April by decision of the Government, which invoked "nonconformities".
Vida TV had already communicated the decision internally to its employees, announcing that it will close its doors on 31 July, leaving more than 300 professionals unemployed, following the termination of the contract with DSTv.
"There are a lot of people out of work, entire teams of journalists, presenters, logistical staff. I'd rather they stay with the channel and keep their jobs," he lamented.
Tchizé dos Santos guarantees that he has complied with what was established, taking into account the legislation in force at the time the channel was launched (2018) and lamented the "boycotts and financial persecution" by the State.
"The law was purposely changed to oblige everyone who wants to broadcast a television channel to pay approximately one million US dollars, but the laws and decrees should not be retroactive and the acquired rights of those already was operating under the previous rules", he stressed.
Tchizé dos Santos was one of Vida TV's initial investors, but according to a source at the channel, who asked not to be identified, the daughter of former president José Eduardo dos Santos was asked to leave the project a few months after the start of the project. operation, "because of their personal and political interests".
"We never had any contribution from you, nobody ever saw you here and nobody was working under your guidance or agenda, just look at the content produced. But we stayed by because of this unfortunate association", said the source, stressing that "Whoever is here [Vida TV] just wanted to work, they don't care about politics".
To Lusa, Tchizé dos Santos considered that her partners were pressured to remove her at the time, in order to keep the channel. "Today we see that even that wasn't enough," she commented.
Asked if she lost money with the investment made in Vida TV, the businesswoman replied that Westside, in which she holds 35 percent of the capital, participated in a total investment of two million dollars, and Semba (where she holds 25 percent) " also invested its share".
"Clearly, I am having a brutal financial and reputational loss, and internationally," she said, adding that she is looking for opportunities in Portugal.
"I'm extremely sad and would like to be able to start a new channel in the Portuguese market where I also have connections for family reasons and beyond," she continued.
Tchizé dos Santos stressed that the "business world is global": "I am currently looking for opportunities in the field of communication in Portugal, Mozambique, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau and São Tomé, because I produce content in Portuguese".
Tchizé dos Santos is currently a digital influencer and created a Youtube channel called "Lifestyle in Portuguese".
