The news of the award awakened in many the desire to revisit the path of this man from the Municipality of Damba, Province of Uíge, Commune of Nsoso, who, at the age of 35, in the midst of the civil war, dared to raise his voice in the name of national reconciliation.
Prophetic voice for peace
In one of the most significant moments of his career, Dom Afonso Nunes gave a historic speech at the Aníbal de Melo Press Centre in 2001. A year before the signing of the Peace Accords, he addressed the country with a firm and prophetic speech: "Angola must achieve Peace".
At a time when the roads were impassable and hope was scarce, he called for an end to the armed conflict, urging leaders to truth, transparency and forgiveness. In a moving appeal, he stated that peace would not come from foreign powers, but should be built within Angola, by the Angolans themselves. "Peace will not come from America, nor from Italy, much less from the former Soviet Union. Peace is in Angola and it is here that we must seek it".
Dom Afonso Nunes did not stop at words. In 2001, he presented a National Peace Plan to the National Assembly, proposing that the conquest of power should take place through peaceful means, rejecting war and weapons as legitimate means.
Architect of reconciliation and development
His work transcends the political sphere, and is equally notable in the ecclesiastical and community fields. As the supreme leader of the Tocoist Church, he played a central role in the reunification of the Tocoist family, which had been fragmented by 17 years of internal divisions.
During his term in office, he built major works that are now landmarks of the Church's social commitment, such as:
• Universal Tocoist Cathedral – Temple of the Living God, with capacity for more than 25 thousand faithful;
• Simão Gonçalves Tôco School Complex, one of the largest secondary schools in the urban district of Kilamba Kiaxi;
• Profeta Simão Gonçalves Tôco Foundation, dedicated to philanthropic causes;
• Tocoist Polytechnic Institute of Angola (ISPTA);
• Tocoist Radio – The Voice of Hope (89.1 FM);
• Community kitchens to combat hunger and support vulnerable families;
• Standardized ecclesiastical and missionary infrastructures in several provinces.
Presence in ecumenism and social solidarity
His leadership is also reflected in interdenominational and interreligious dialogue, with Dom Afonso Nunes being recognized within the Council of Christian Churches in Angola (CICA), the Angolan Christian Forum (FCA), of which he is a co-founder, and the Interreligious Federation for World Peace (FIRPM).
In the social sphere, he stands out for distributing clothing, medicines, agricultural tools and food support to needy communities in Angola and other African countries.
Divine mission
Faithful to the legacy of the Prophet Simão Gonçalves Tôco, Dom Afonso Nunes considers his mission a divine calling. As the Prophet said when entrusting him with the spiritual task: "I will be in you like someone wearing overalls".
This national recognition symbolizes not only a country's reverence for one of its most devoted sons, but also the triumph of a spirituality committed to justice, reconciliation and the development of Angola.
