According to the Head of State, the initial idea was to create six new provinces, but due to a lack of resources, it was decided to start with three, namely Moxico Leste, Icolo e Bengo and Cuando.
"The territory of Cuando is very far from the previous capital, Menongue. Just like these municipalities of Luacano, Luau, Alto Zambeze and others, especially those on the border with Zambia, these territories are also very far from the previous capital, Luena", pointed out the President who, in statements made during the visit he made this Friday to Moxico Leste, clarified that this scenario ended up hindering the mission of promoting development in these areas, which were more or less neglected.
Thus, he continued, the decision was made to proceed with the creation of these new provinces. "Regardless of the costs that the construction and building of these new provinces may entail, we have decided that the time has come to take this step to bring development to these distant regions".
"(...) Due to the great distances to the previous provincial capitals, development was taking a long time to reach these locations," he stressed, recalling that the decision to increase the number of provinces was made with the aim of solving the population's problems.
However, he stated that there were political forces that were against this action. "If we were weak-minded and followed the path they were taking us on, this development would never come," he pointed out, adding that "as much money as necessary" would be spent to solve the citizens' problems.
"So, we will spend as much money as necessary to solve the people's problems," he said.
In the specific case of Moxico Leste, João Lourenço said that they will bring development to this province: "The Cazombo of tomorrow will be much better than it is today. We will bring development to the province."
The head of state also spoke about the construction of an airport. "They will leave only this simple dirt runway that is only used for landing and taking off small planes, but they will have an airport (...)", he said.
Governor of Moxico Leste requests essential infrastructure for the development of the region
At the meeting of the Local Governance Council, chaired by the President of the Republic this Friday, the governor of Moxico Leste, Crispiniano dos Santos, presented João Lourenço with "a formal request for the implementation of essential infrastructure in the new province".
According to a statement from CIPRA, to which VerAngola had access, at the meeting – held as part of the brief working visit that the head of state made this Friday to the province – Crispiniano dos Santos said that the "majority of the population has limited access to basic services such as health, education, energy, water, housing and communication routes".
"The main priority identified is the National Road 190, which connects Luau to the provincial capital", the note reads.
As for administrative infrastructure, the province "lacks buildings to house the provincial government, the new municipal administrations and the bodies responsible for the administration of Justice, Defense and Security", the note states, adding that "the province also needs housing for professionals in the health and education sectors".
"The development plan presented foresees the construction of integrated infrastructures in Cazombo, in a first phase, on the 200 hectares reserved for the establishment of the city", the statement points out.
Thus, among the structures requested are the "provincial government headquarters building, the Cazombo General Hospital, a water treatment plant and an administrative residential complex", while in the field of education, the provincial governor requested the construction of a "technical health school, a teacher training school and a polytechnic college, to train qualified professionals for the development of local capacities".
Among the various requests that make up the proposal is also the "improvement of the existing roads in the town of Cazombo and the rehabilitation of the local airfield".
"In the Health chapter, the governor suggested the rehabilitation of the current Cazombo hospital and, while the works are underway, the installation of a campaign structure, as a temporary measure to guarantee the population's access to basic health care."
"The official warned about the lack of personnel and work resources in the justice, defense and security agencies, a situation that weakens border control and exposes the province to fuel smuggling, irregular immigration and the illegal exploitation of natural resources," the note says.
Among other aspects, "the governor expressed the local population's expectations regarding the structural projects that should be implemented within the scope of the new political-administrative division."
"The visit of the President of the Republic to the province of Moxico Leste took place five months after its formal creation, which, according to the governor, reveals the special attention given to the new provinces resulting from the territorial reorganization", the statement said.
