According to the president of the parliamentary group of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), Liberty Chiyaka, who denied any fragmentation of UNITA around the foundation, these approaches aim to find problems where there are none.
“Why are we going to invent unnecessary controversies? Let’s not invent stories. Let’s keep the foundation within the framework of the law, and let UNITA also play its role”, said the politician, arguing that the political objective of the Foundation, as a philanthropic organization, should not be confused with the objective of a political party.
The Jonas Savimbi Foundation, “fortunately for our founding president,” Chiyaka stressed in response to Lusa, or other foundations, “will never compete with political power, their focus is different.”
UNITA’s focus is to work to conquer power and achieve citizenship, so “things are not confused,” he maintained when presenting this Thursday, at a press conference in Luanda, the balance of the second parliamentary year of the 5th Legislature of the National Assembly.
Former UNITA president Isaías Samakuva complained this Tuesday about obstacles to the creation of the Jonas Malheiro Savimbi Foundation and insisted that there are those who do not want to recognize Savimbi’s role in Angola, including in the party he founded.
Questioned about the absence of UNITA leaders at the public presentation of the Foundation, to which he belongs with the status of president of the board of trustees, Samakuva, who succeeded Jonas Savimbi as leader of UNITA for 16 years, years, being replaced by the current president, Adalberto Costa Júnior, stressed that invitations were sent “to everyone”, including members of the government and the leadership of UNITA and other parties, and that it is up to the people who receive the invitation to decide.
This Thursday, Liberty Chiyaka said that MP Amélia Judith Ernesto (member of the Standing Committee and national secretary for the Management of Quotas of UNITA) was at the ceremony to present the Foundation, arguing that if the members of the party leadership were at the ceremony “they would say that it was a party”.
“Let’s not confuse things, let’s leave the foundation alone. The foundation is not to be confused with the political party. Why do UNITA leaders have to be members of the foundation? We are confusing the roles, it can’t be done”, she said.
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 considered the family's desire to create this entity to be legitimate.
