Angola: President João Lourenço Listens to Concerns of Civil Society Leaders From Zaire

Mbanza Kongo — President João Lourenço listened to the concerns of religious leaders, traditional authorities, youth representatives and local businesspeople from Mbanza Kongo city, northern Zaire province, as part of the president's 48-hour working visit to the region that started on Thursday.

During the meetings, participants presented concerns related to education, road rehabilitation, access to drinking water, electricity, fuel, housing, job creation and financing for young entrepreneurs.

The Head of State received in audience, the provincial secretary of the Council of Christian Churches in Angola (CICA), Mayenzamene, having praised the President's gesture in decreeing national mourning for the victims of the political conflict of May 27, 1977.

According to the religious leader, the initiative represented a message of forgiveness, national reconciliation and strengthening of unity among Angolans.

Mayenzamene Garcia said that the province's population lives essentially from manual agriculture, having defended major investment in agricultural mechanization and the improvement of roads to facilitate the flow of production.

The religious leader also pointed out difficulties in road connections between Mbanza Kongo and the municipalities of Cuimba, Nóqui, Soyo, Tomboco and Nzeto.

The traditional authorities, represented by the guardian of the court of the Kingdom of Kongo, Afonso Mendes, discussed with the president the need to build the "Lumbo", a traditional space intended for meetings of the province's authorities.

According to Afonso Mendes, the Head of State assured that the government will analyze the proposal.

Daniel Alberto, provincial executive secretary for youth in Zaire, presented concerns related to access to housing, job creation, and subsidized credit lines for young entrepreneurs.

The hearings took place ahead of the first meeting of the local governance council, the central activity of the second and final day of the Head of State's working visit to Zaire province.

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