According to Rafael Inácio, the aforementioned group of taxi drivers also intends to "gain fame" and reach the direction of the ATA, without obeying the organization's statutes, asking the authorities to "act accordingly" in case the stoppage is called.
"That's why we urge the authorities to act accordingly, in case these elements of bad faith come to call for any stoppage without our authorization, even so we are open for dialogue", he said.
Rafael Inácio, who claims to be the organization's legitimate president, after reappointment to the post last October at a general meeting, denied that he had received benefits from the authorities to ease the claims of members.
"[On] the problem of [subsidized] cards, we are discussing with the executive so that the delivery is quick, we want to deconstruct this false information that has been circulating on social networks that the president has benefited from something", justified.
According to the official, the aforementioned "speculations" have been promoted by a group of five members who intend, "at all costs", to reach the presidency of the ATA without obeying the organization's statutes.
"We ask the authorities to act against the elements that want to create chaos in the province of Luanda, all because they want to gain fame and aim for power without following the legal parameters", he insisted.
Since June 2nd, a liter of gasoline in Angola costs 300 kwanzas against the previous 160 kwanzas.
The Government announced the gradual withdrawal of gasoline subsidies, maintaining the subsidy to taxi drivers, motorcycle taxi drivers and the agricultural and fishing sector, promising subsidized cards to operators.
Many taxi drivers in Luanda and in the interior of Angola say they have not yet benefited from the respective cards, which contain a monthly value of 140,000 kwanzas and are therefore still paying 300 kwanzas per liter.
An alleged stoppage of taxi drivers in Luanda had been called for the 19th, 20th and 21st of June to protest the delays in delivering cards, but later called off by the ATA, which controls 38,000 members, 18,000 of which in Luanda alone.
Rafael Inácio also denied that he had been removed from office, referring that the association is duly legalized with its own statute, a headquarters, whose main objective "is to defend and safeguard taxi drivers, [which] it has done and very well", he noted.
"This dismissal, which is heard to be illegal, completely disrespects the good will of the members who voted last October, who decided for my continuation", he said.
"It cannot be a group of five or four elements that are going to remove the president, which is illegal", shot the president of the ATA.
ATA is a nationwide non-profit association that brings together several taxi drivers, national and foreign.
