"It is the will of the government in the person of the provincial governor, Norberto do Santos 'Kwata Kanawa', who gave precise indications to a team coordinated by the vice-governor for the Social Sector, Domingos Eduardo, so that it could be negotiated with the [current] owner so that the residence [where Agostinho Neto lived between 1944 and 1945] would be transferred to the Government's definitive guardianship and that it would be transformed into a House-Museum. Fortunately, that mission is accomplished", said Fernandes Cristóvão, director of the Provincial Office of Culture, in statements to Jornal de Angola.
The official indicated that a public tender has not yet been opened because the contract is not included in the General State Budget. However, he said that there were businessmen who expressed their intention to help in the sense of valuing the image of the founder of the Nation.
Thus, the government is currently working to accommodate the citizens residing in that housing, informed the director of the Provincial Office for Culture, adding that the infrastructure will then be restored as well as the placement of the historical collection, a part of which has already is in Malanje (photographic portraits, objects, among others).
In an interview with Jornal de Angola, Fernandes Cristóvão said that there is "a whole effort" around the project, since the opening of the House-Museum is scheduled for November.
"There is all this effort, because our forecast is that, by November of this year, we will be able to inaugurate the Dr. António Agostinho Neto House-Museum and make it available to the general public, in particular the youth, who need to understand a little the history of Angola, through Neto, the need for the Angolan to be firm in the fight for independence, in defense of territorial integrity and in love for the country", he said.
Cited by Jornal de Angola, he assured that the necessary technical conditions will be established for the House-Museum to open its doors, referring that there is already an instrument on the restoration of the house.
He also took the opportunity to mention that the citizens who are staying in that residence are expected to leave soon, informing that the period to receive the keys extends until this Thursday, 15 September, the date from which a team from the guided by you can start with the rehabilitation.
According to historian José de Beça Gaspar, quoted by Jornal de Angola, when Neto was working as a doctor at the Hospital de Malanje, he rented the house in that province, "avoiding inclusion in a hotel room with illiterate Portuguese".
"He himself said that some of them were illiterate, so he had to resort to a wattle and daub house, on Rua 15 de Agosto, which still exists today, and later rebuilt with masonry", added the historian.
