Luanda — The secretary-general of the Angolan Journalists Union (SJA), Teixeira Cândido, said Thursday that the organization remains faithful to its object, based on the defense of Press Freedom and the rights of its members.

Speaking to ANGOP on the 32nd anniversary of the SJA, Cândido said that during its existence, the organization has been based on the defense of press freedom which culminated in the creation of the Portfolio and Ethics Commission in 2019.

In his opinion, it is necessary to continue to defend press freedom and strengthen the competences of the Media Regulatory Authority, to enable it to intervene in the local market as established by the law.

He emphasized that in the last six years the SJA's focus has been on the social dignity of professionals.

As regards to the implementation of the professional qualifications assessment, the SJA general secretary said it is one of the union's focuses, which in 2018 began the movement to establish careers, a goal it wants to see achieved in 2024.

Teixeira Cândido said that today we have a union focused on the social issues of professionals, with a presence throughout most of the country.

Recalling the history, Teixeira Cândido said that a daring group of journalists from almost all public media organizations (the only ones that existed until then) challenged themselves and set up the first union in independent Angola. ANM/ART/TED/AMP