Alfeo Vinevala Sachiquepa, Deolinda Dorcas Zola da Graça Paulo Teca, Fernanda Renée Ulombe Samuel, Filipe Silvino de Pina Zau, and Suzana Deolinda Sousa Mendes Viriato were sworn in.
João Lourenço made brief considerations during the swearing in ceremony of five new members for the Council of the Republic, an organ of consultation of the President, which now includes 25 members connected to the areas of education, press, agriculture, environment and church.
The head of state said that journalist and social activist Suzana Mendes was chosen because he considers that "there is no democracy without freedom of thought, freedom of expression, freedom of the press.
"We think that the young woman who was put forward represents well the journalistic class and the need to defend these principles that our Constitution consecrates," he stressed.
About the nomination of academic Filipe Zau, the President said that the invitation was addressed because there is the notion that if one intends to develop the country, "financial resources are not the solution," but rather the investment in man, in his quality training.
"We all recognize that we don't have a quality education, we need to work, to take this step, to go beyond the quantity, the numbers of students enrolled, to start paying attention to the quality of our education. It is with quality teachers, with quality academics, that quality students are made", he referred.
As for the religious area, the head of state considered that the Angolan society "has been losing moral values in the last years", justifying the entrance of the reverend Deolinda Dorcas Teca.
"And the church, in principle, plays a very important role in the rescue of these same values. This is a fight that belongs to everyone, to the whole society, the rescue of the values that are being lost day by day, but we believe that in the front line is without a doubt the church, hence the reason for the invitation," he stressed.
As for the environmentalist Fernanda Ulombe Samuel, the President said that the young activist for the defense of the environment and nature conservation was invited, given the moment "when the world is fighting against climate change", whose consequences everyone knows.
"In recent days, we have seen the fires that destroy Europe and America, the floods in Europe, the hurricanes, just yesterday passed through Louisiana, United States of America, hence the reason, as an example to other young people, have indicated the young activist in this area that is quite important for the life of humanity, not only Angola, but the whole humanity", he said.
About the farmer Alfeo Sachiquepa, the Head of State emphasized his commitment to the development of agriculture in Angola, even with few resources and "little support from the bank".
"Our Council of the Republic in its composition is already quite heterogeneous, but even so, this time, I decided to invite a true entrepreneur of the agriculture sector, someone that with few resources, maybe with few bank supports, even so, from what we have been seeing, has made real miracles in what concerns agriculture", he expressed.
According to João Lourenço, the Government is working to diversify the economy, and within the framework of this diversification, particular importance is given to the need to develop agriculture.
The Council of the Republic of Angola is integrated by the vice-president of the Republic, the president of the National Assembly, the president of the Constitutional Court, the attorney-general of the Republic, the leaders of the political parties and party coalitions with parliamentary seat, besides invited entities from the Angolan civil society.
The act was witnessed by high figures of the State, with highlight to the vice-president Bornito de Sousa and the president of the National Assembly Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos.
