The proposal was approved with 182 votes in favor of the parliamentary groups of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), the National Union for Total Independence and Angola (UNITA), the Humanist Party of Angola (PHA) and the mixed parliamentary representation Party of Social Renewal (PRS)/National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA).
When presenting the proposal for the legal diploma, the Secretary of State for Technical Assurance of the Ministry of the Interior, Carlos Albino, said that, in the opposite direction to that of the State, which has been investing significantly in the acquisition of goods and improving the provision of services "behaviours of destruction, damage and theft of public goods are proliferating in the Angolan reality".
The government official stressed that the preventive and repressive measures in force do not sufficiently inhibit the perpetrators, which is why "the toughening of penalties" is necessary.
The Proposed Law on the Crimes of Vandalism of Public Goods and Services presents penalties ranging from three to 25 years for offenders.
"Over the last few years, several criminal cases have been registered and charged for conduct that undermines public assets and public services, and the phenomenon of vandalization of public assets has been calling for more severe treatment among us in view of the harmful consequences for public goods and services, as well as for the safety and well-being of citizens in general", stated Carlos Albino.
The Secretary of State compared this criminal activity to homicide crimes, as "the removal of a ballast from the railway line can cause multiple homicides, just as the deactivation of an energy substation linked to a hospital can cause several deaths".
In his declaration of vote, the deputy from the PRS/FNLA mixed representation Rui Miguel justified his vote in favor because the proposed law constitutes "a very valuable instrument that the State will have from now on in combating the conduct and behavior practices of citizens who harm the public interest".
"This instrument will inhibit the actions of all those who, in the past, took classroom desks from public educational institutions to their schools, who destroyed high voltage towers, who diverted medical equipment, of all who occupied themselves with the public treasury to the detriment of the majority, becoming responsible", he highlighted.
In turn, UNITA deputy Joel Pacheco justified his vote in favor with the fact that "the time has come to put an end to harmful conduct that undermines public goods and services".
"We voted in favor so that, in the debate on the specialty, the diploma can be enriched, taking into account that we have to look at other angles that we consider to be important, such as the probable causes that encourage this behavior and study other equally necessary ways to put an end to this evil", he concluded.
The deputy of the MPLA parliamentary group, Pedro de Morais Neto, justified his vote in favor due to his awareness of the need for a more proactive and energetic response to this evil that plagues society, based on combat based on prevention and legal-legal tools, with the objective of "competently sanctioning offenders".
Pedro de Morais Neto stressed that "economic and social losses are inestimable for public companies and beyond", defending, "without disregarding the importance of the law", the need to "use social prevention, as a way of reducing practices reprehensible, through the implementation of consistent social policies".
