Samakuva, who presided over UNITA for 16 years, succeeding founder and president Jonas Savimbi, who died in 2002, gave the closing speech at the public presentation of the foundation.
Isaías Samakuva, who is chairman of the board of trustees, acknowledged the commitment of the President of the Republic, João Lourenço (MPLA) “for having had the political courage to break taboos and overcome prejudices to allow the partner of José Eduardo dos Santos and the Angolan government in the construction of democratic peace in 1991”, to also have his foundation established in Angola.
“It was a patriotic decision, politically elevated (…) because he was a very strong political adversary whose historic role in the construction of the nation many wanted and still want to erase, others wanted and want to silence, or ignore, and others seek to distort him”, he said, adding that even today one sees writings and comments proclaiming “Savimbi, no more”.
For Samakuva, history calls more than ever for national reconciliation and demands political courage: “This is the true meaning of history and not the search for instrumentalization”, he stressed, emphasizing that Savimbi’s UNITA never allowed itself to be instrumentalized and that the foundation “will never allow itself to be instrumentalized by anyone”. The politician stated that the public presentation of the foundation also marks the symbolism of reconciliation and that Savimbi and José Eduardo dos Santos, President of Angola for 38 years, 30 of which were spent at war with Savimbi’s UNITA, “were the architects of the foundations of the Republic of Angola”. “These are two names that cannot be erased from the history of Angola. The sooner Angolans are able to abandon their prejudices and personal resentments and accept this historical fact, the sooner we will celebrate the fruits of mutual forgiveness. Angola demands more than ever the democratic participation of a strong and autonomous civil society”, he stressed, adding that the foundation is being launched with immense ambition and “an intense desire to serve local communities in the short term and global unity in the medium and long term”.
“I am convinced that the misunderstandings and fears surrounding the foundation will be overcome”, he concluded.
The presentation of the foundation was marked by the absence of the main leaders of UNITA, such as Adalberto Costa Júnior, the leader of the parliamentary group, Liberty Chiaka, or representatives of the main organizations of the party.
The Jonas Malheiro Savimbi Foundation has been embroiled in controversy since its legalization was announced after the leader of UNITA, Adalberto Costa Júnior, spoke of interference and instrumentalization, although he considers the family's desire to create this entity to be legitimate.
Isaías Samakuva, for his part, denied any intention of creating a new party and stated that he had informed Adalberto Costa Júnior about his new role in the management of the foundation, also highlighting that his closeness to President João Lourenço is the result of old friendships.
The more than ten children of Savimbi who were present, and who took pictures together at the end of the ceremony, which was enlivened by church choirs, poetry recitals and mini-theatres, insisted that the foundation was created by the family's will and has no political aims.
Aleluiah Chilala Sakaita Savimbi highlighted, when welcoming the guests, that Savimbi's children wanted to find a necessary instrument to make their father's dream come true, by establishing the foundation, a non-profit institution that will be responsible for preserving the historical collection about the founder of the “Galo Negro” party.
The Foundation, under the motto “Solidarity. Inclusion. Development”, also aims to support people with disabilities, support the eradication of anti-personnel mines, support rural women, promote literacy projects, sexual and reproductive health, promote the preservation of African cultural values, grant scholarships, etc.
Savimbi's eldest son, Durão de Monte Negro Cheya Savimbi, thanked President João Lourenço and Isaías Samakuva for their support for the foundation, which “is not and will never be a political party, nor a union, nor a religious institution, nor a company”, and is “an expression of the genuine desire” to make his father's dream come true.
“Jonas Malheiro Savimbi should be remembered, studied, even criticized, why not, but we will always remember that he is a son of Angola, who served Angola, idealized and embodied a noble cause”, he stressed.
