Angola: Inside Lourenço's Head (Part I)
[Maka] President João Lourenço has one head. Angola has more than 38 million. Yet a single head does the thinking, makes the decisions and disposes of everyone else's resources. There is no indication that the presidential head is unusually large or endowed with supernatural intellectual powers. What is extraordinary is that so many institutions -- the National Assembly, the defence and security…
President João Lourenço wields singular authority in Angola, a nation home to over 38 million citizens. The President's decisions dictate the fate of the entire country, and institutions such as the National Assembly, security forces, judiciary, MPLA and UNITA operate as if the country's prosperity depends on the President's whims.
Angolans regularly accuse Lourenço of treating Angola as personal property, using the treasury as a private bank account and natural resources as an inherited family wealth. This leads to anger, which quickly gives way to continued routine for the populace, who are left poorer and burdened. Despite potential criticism of Lourenço, loyal members of his court often lambast him privately, cultivating future alliances.
The President's leadership lacks ethical governance, failing to restore trust or bring the government closer to its citizens. Lourenço has neglected training healthcare professionals, providing adequate public transport, and ensuring public services function properly. Citizens have come to accept subpar conditions as normal, allowing leaders to plunder public funds without consequence.
The government has authorized spending of over $61.5 billion under simplified procurement procedures, violating transparency principles. This centralizes power and enriches selected companies while leaving millions of Angolans in poverty. There is no clear justification for the awarded contracts, as the Public Procurement Law fails to outline specific reasons for these decisions.
José Eduardo dos Santos maintained power by distributing opportunities for enrichment to a broad network of allies. Lourenço has narrowed this circle while maintaining the same predatory logic. Corruption continues to flourish under the guise of a broad banner, allowing the new leadership to continue plundering the nation's wealth without accountability. The populace remains excluded from the wealth that powers their leaders' lavish lifestyles.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
