“Celebrating in a big way is an insult to the majority who are suffering. It is unacceptable. The government likes to have big lunches and dinners with pomp, but people are dying right next door. That is unacceptable,” said Liberty Chiyaka, president of the parliamentary group of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), this Thursday.
Chiyaka responded to journalists at a press conference to review the second parliamentary year of the 5th legislature, which ended on 15 August.
Chiyaka, when asked by Lusa about the preparations for the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of independence, discussed on Wednesday at the meeting of the Council of the Republic, considered that there was no reason for Angolans to celebrate the date (11 November 2025) in a big way.
President João Lourenço said on Wednesday that “there are several reasons to celebrate in style” the country’s 50th anniversary of independence after decades of war, stressing that the country has achieved peace and is “building a homeland of reconciled brothers who have known how to forgive one another”.
The programme of celebrations includes political, cultural and religious activities, fairs, exhibitions and inaugurations of public and private enterprises, with the head of state urging the participation of all civil society.
Liberty Chiyaka – who said that UNITA was not invited to participate in the independence commemoration programme – stated that she respects the President’s opinion, but stressed that there is no reason to celebrate in style, since the dreams that inspired the liberation movements to fight for independence, such as freedom, dignity, prosperity, happiness and social justice, have not been achieved.
He also lamented the political intolerance “that persists” and asked: “What are we going to celebrate if the objectives of the national independence struggle have not been achieved? The objectives of the MPLA government itself have not been achieved (…). Is it just a case of celebrating because we have a flag and an anthem? Is this really serious?” he asked, advocating a reflection on the current state of the country.
“Where we failed in 1975 to have taken this flawed path, such as combating poverty, eradicating hunger and misery, is what is needed”, he argued, urging the President to change the framework of the celebrations for the date.
“The best way to celebrate 50 years of independence is to eradicate hunger, poverty, promote employment and good governance. These are the fundamentals that are needed, because Angola failed”, stressed the politician.
“Are there reasons for Angolans to celebrate 50 years of independence in style, when we have a procession of divisions, hatred and deaths?” he asked, noting that, in 22 years of peace, achieved on 4 April 2002, poverty, hunger and unemployment have increased. The politician pointed to the existence of ten million Angolans going hungry, seven million without jobs and thousands of children not in the education system to justify his arguments. “But what are we going to celebrate just with this small picture that I presented?” he said, noting that, in Luanda, less than two kilometres from the Presidential Palace, there are children in rubbish bins.
