"We, the student movement, and civil society will be holding a demonstration in Luanda on Saturday to demand that the government reverse the tuition fee hike, the fuel price hike, and the increase in energy, water, and basic food baskets," said Francisco Teixeira, president of the Angolan Student Movement (MEA), this Tuesday.
In a statement to Lusa, Teixeira said that the march scheduled for Saturday, July 19, is intended to condemn the government's measures that exacerbate the pain and suffering of Angolan youth and families.
"We cannot accept the government increasing our suffering and continuing to create pain for us, when they have everything and we have absolutely nothing. We will be on the streets because we understand that the lives of young people, the lives of students, are increasingly difficult," he said.
For the MEA president, the increase in tuition fees, fuel, water, and electricity prices are the result of measures "imposed" by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) on the Angolan government and contribute to worsening the living conditions of Angolans.
"If we don't curb the insatiable appetites of the IMF, the World Bank, and the Angolan government, these individuals will completely deplete the country. We must fight together, and the youth must rise up," he emphasized.
The student leader believes, therefore, that all young Angolans "must rise up and demand that the IMF, the WB, and the [Angolan] government stop further suffering for Angolan youth and the people."
A week ago, the fare for public taxis in Angola increased to 300 kwanzas per trip, and the fare for city buses increased to 200 kwanzas per trip, starting Monday. This measure follows the increase in the price of diesel, which rose from 300 to 400 kwanzas per liter starting July 4th.
Private education associations in Angola announced in June that the adjustment to tuition fees and fees for the 2025-2026 school year, which begins in September, will be a maximum of 20.74 percent, in line with inflation. The government also increased water and electricity rates in the same month.
"We are pained by the fact that they are increasing tuition fees without consulting students. We are pained by the fact that many people will drop out of school due to financial inability. That's why we are calling for this demonstration and will hold it in several provinces across the country," noted the MEA president.
In addition to Luanda, Uíge, Huíla, Malanje, Lunda Sul, and Cuanza Sul are the other provinces expected to hold protests on Saturday, as Francisco Teixeira highlighted, noting that in Luanda the march is expected to begin in front of the São Paulo Market and continue to the Ministry of Finance.
He assured that administrative authorities in Luanda have already been notified of the "peaceful march," urging citizens to join the protests: "We ask the youth not to remain silent. Our future is at stake, and we cannot continue to sit on the couch," he concluded.
