João Lourenço, in his message to the nation, released this Wednesday on the occasion of the 46th anniversary of national independence, which marks this Thursday, says that "the colonial occupation was the first major test of the Angolans' resilience".
"To our fearless capacity to fight for our rights and objectives, to our unbreakable union in the face of great challenges and to our firm will to win. United, we fight and win the challenge of independence," stated João Lourenço.
Angola celebrates on Thursday the 46th anniversary of national independence, proclaimed on 11 November 1975 by the first Angolan head of state, António Agostinho Neto.
According to the President, the "realized dream of independence was, however, a means so that the ultimate end of building a prosperous society could be reached".
"Unfortunately, the hailed joy of national independence was postponed shortly after its inception. The dream proclaimed on November 11, 1975 to build a prosperous society for all was postponed," he noted.
"The prolonged war tore the lives of many Angolans, destroyed our country and prevented us from realizing our dreams of independence, postponed the country, compromised the future of several generations and delayed the fulfillment of our wishes", he lamented.
The achievement of peace, on April 4, 2002, was also highlighted by João Lourenço, referring: "With sincere forgiveness on the face and soul of every Angolan, we reconcile the nation".
"The challenges of maintaining the achievements of peace, of building national unity and building a reconciled nation, are permanent and must be part of our daily lives", commented João Lourenço, third President of the Republic of independent Angola.
The construction and reconstruction of infrastructure such as ports, airports, railways, investments in education, health, with the building of schools and hospitals across the country, in the nearly 20 years of peace, constitute a "path that should be proud of " the Angolan people, he stressed.
The President highlighted achievements achieved in nearly two decades of peace: "We increased the supply of housing, reduced the illiteracy rate, increased the number of cards at all levels of education, the number of hospital beds increased considerably", he stressed.
The statesman also pointed out the "increase" in the means of diagnosis and treatment of the national health system, the "considerable growth" of investment in the production, transport and distribution of electricity and drinking water on a national scale as a result of the period of peace.
"[The achievements of national independence and peace] are indelible marks of our history, which fill each one of us with pride and encourage us to face the long path that lies ahead, to overcome the challenges of our time", he highlighted.
"We have a past that makes us proud and that drives us to build a better future. Making Angola a prosperous nation is the main challenge of our time, it is possible and within our reach", he pointed out.
In his message to the nation, João Lourenço also referred that the path "is long and complex", but he added: "I am sure that together we will win if we all work to maintain political and social stability".
"[To] overcome today's challenges, we need to continue to invest our time, our knowledge and our resources in changing the economic structure of Angola through the diversification of our economy," he noted.
The need to "continue to invest in the moralization of society and in the construction of a nation, whose foundational pillars are moral values", was also pointed out by João Lourenço as "current challenges to be overcome".
"We need to continue to mobilize every Angolan so that we participate in the fight for prevention and fight against corruption", also urged the Head of State.
He recalled that covid-19 "still does not allow" the country to effusively celebrate the date of independence, forcing "to continue with the biosafety measures recommended by the health authorities and massively adhere to vaccination posts."
"Nevertheless, today is a day of celebration, a day of victory, hope and glory, a day of reflection on our glorious journey, and on the much ahead of us to overcome the challenges of our time", he highlighted.
"As in the past, this is a time to believe, fight and work hard, to win the battle for development", concluded João Lourenço.
November 11 is a national holiday in the country.
