Elections2022: First summary of the seventh day of campaign

 Luanda - Unlike the first six days, this Saturday which marks the seventh day of the electoral campaign recorded greater intensity of activities in the country´s 18 provinces, with six of the eight presidential candidates leading their respective political organisations and all parties stepping up their actions to entice votes for the upcoming general elections, set for 24 August this year.

PHA

 

In the morning, the Humanist Party of Angola (PHA) marched through the streets of Menongue City of the south-eastern Cuando Cubango Province, where it presented to the citizens its arguments on why it should be chosen.

 

During the event, Florbela Malaquias, the head of the party´s list, said that apart from humanising people, “the PHA wants to put an end to holes in people´s lives and not only in the roads, as it is the case with the current government, which relegates the suffering of the people to a secondary level”.

 

In Dundo, Lunda Norte Province, the president of the political committee of this political party, Manuel Massanzo, ruled out any possibility of the PHA winning the general elections on 24 August, because it was still in a “process of consolidation”.

 

 

P-NJANGO

 

The Nationalist Party for Justice in Angola (P-NJANGO) on Saturday toured the municipalities of Viana, Cacuaco and Cazenga in Luanda Province to mobilise and sensitise voters, led by the party´s vice-president, Força Maria Tania.

 

In Viana District, the delegation held a march and ended with an awareness campaign. In Cacuaco they transmitted awareness messages in Vidrul and Kifangondo markets, while in Cazenga they knocked on doors in the neighbourhoods of Hoji-ya-Henda and Kalawenda districts.

 

 

UNITA

 

Under the leadership of its president, Adalberto Costa Júnior, UNITA held a rally act in the Municipality of Cazenga, during which it declared itself ready for the contest and to create a democratic government without discrimination.

 

In his speech, the head of UNITA´s list reiterated the commitment to implement local government in Angola, as one of the central issues of the party´s governance programme, which also includes the fight against corruption and the promotion of education, from primary to university level.

 

In northern Uige Province, more than 200 brigades of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) engaged in mobilisation of the citizens to convince them to cast their votes in the largest opposition party.

 

FNLA

 

Six days after its official launch of the campaign, the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA) effectively opened its election campaign in Bengo Province on Saturday, with a march through the streets of Caxito City led by its secretary general, Aguiar Laurindo.

 

“The FNLA intends to pay special attention to children, youth and women, as well as to build homes throughout the country, it wants to create an unemployment benefit, defend orphans, displaced persons and pensioners, if it wins the general elections on 24 August”, promised the politician.

 

CASA-CE

 

In Uíge province, the Broad Convergence for the Salvation of Angola - Electoral Coalition (CASA-CE) held a mass rally, in which it promised, among other things, to improve policies on access to employment and to create an unemployment benefit, in case of wining the elections on 24 August.

 

“We’ll eliminate the requirement of work experience, age limitation and other constraints for access to employment”, explained the head of the list of this coalition, Manuel Fernandes, during the presentation of his programme.

 

Meanwhile, in Luanda, CASA-CE, during a similar event, proposed the creation of a dialogue pact with the political forces competing for the general elections on 24 August, so that the electoral campaign takes place in a climate of peace and harmony.

 

APN

 

In the capital city of Zaire, the president of the National Patriotic Alliance (APN), Quintino Moreira, promised to rehabilitate the province´s road network, with emphasis on the road linking Mbanza Kongo to the municipality of Cuimba, over a distance of 62 kilometres.

 

 

Quintino Moreira, who was speaking at a rally as part of his party´s electoral campaign, said that priority would be given to secondary and tertiary roads and access to the interior of the province.

 

 

PRS

 

The Social Renewal Party (PRS), which spent the first days of its campaign in eastern side of the country, in Luena City of Moxico Province, held a march that ended with a rally. Its president, Benedito Daniel, met with leaders of youth associations.

 

On the other hand, during its ten-minute airtime in the Angola National Radio Station he said that the preservation of Angolan culture and African identity is part of his party´s programme, if he wins the elections, as he believes that for the construction of a structured society, cultural promotion is an essential factor.

 

MPLA

 

In the province of Bié, the President of MPLA, João Lourenço, highlighted the rehabilitation of roads and public lighting in the province, as well as promised proper intervention in the road linking Bié to Cuanza Sul (Andulo/Mussende), in order to facilitate the connection between both places and between them and other Angolan localities.

 

Speaking at a rally in the city of Cuito, the MPLA candidate for the 2022 elections underlined among other achievements the rehabilitation of the Cunje-Andulo road, which allows easy circulation between both cities, as well as the tertiary and secondary roads of the other municipalities.

 

Meanwhile, in Luanda, the first provincial secretary of the ruling party, Bento Sebastião Bento, urged the supporters, members and friends of the party to flock to the polls on 24 August, to exercise their right to vote, for the MPLA to win the election for the fifth consecutive time, after 1992, 2008, 2012 and 2017.

 

“In the capital and largest electoral ward in the country, the MPLA militants and leaders, besides mobilising the list delegates and the people for the massive vote for the party, should be the first to leave home for the polling stations”, expressed the politician, at the end of a march which lasted for about two hours.

 

In Malanje Province, the MPLA party also held a mass political event in the municipality of Mucari, during which the first provincial secretary of this party, Kwata Kanawa said that the defence of peace and national reconciliation are indispensable requirements to  avoid disagreements among Angolans.

Elections2022: UNITA calls for transparency

 Luanda - The UNITA candidate for President of the Republic, Adalberto Costa Júnior, Saturday in Luanda appealled for the need for the general elections of 24 August to be fair and transparent.

While speaking during a mass event held in Cazenga Municipality of Luanda Province, he stressed that his political party is ready to create a democratic government without discrimination.

 

In his speech, the head of the UNITA list reiterated the commitment to implement the local elections in Angola, if his party wins the 24 August elections.

 

Adalberto Costa Júnior said that this is one of the central issues of the party´s governance programme, which also includes the fight against corruption and the promotion of education, from primary to university level.

 

The event served also for the party to present its candidates for MP and the five-year governance programme, which is focused on inclusive and participatory governance.

 

Among others, The UNITA´s electoral manifesto comprises aspects like state reform, higher quality of education and health, access to housing and employment, promotion of the market economy and eradication of regional asymmetries, and facilitation of low-interest credit.

 

To observe the voting process in the municipality of Cazenga on 24 August, UNITA accredited 1,040 delegates, out of the 2,090 required.

 

According to the provincial secretary of UNITA, Nelito Ekuikui, Luanda will have 17,000 delegates of his party in the upcoming polls.

 

Angola will hold its fifth elections on 24 August, after those in 1992, 2008, 2012 and 2017. It will be the first elections with the participation of Angolans in the diaspora.

ANPG, Totalenergies announce first development of Block 17/06

 Luanda -The National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG), the Total Energies and partners of Block 17/06 announced Friday in Luanda the final investment decision for the Begonia Development Area, located in the Lower Congo maritime basin, about 150 kilometers from the Angolan coast, ANGOP has learnt.

Begonia reservoir will be developed through five subsea wells (three for production and two for water injection) connected to the FPSO Pazflor floating production, storage and offloading unit, in production since 2011 in Block 17.

The first oil exploitation expected in the first half of 2025, will increase FPSO Pazflor's production by roughly 30,000 barrels of oil per day.

Begonia is the second project operated by Total Energies in Angola to benefit from innovative engineering and a new contractual framework for the standardisation of the Subsea Production System, capable of reducing costs by up to 20% and accelerating the acquisition process.

Paulino Jerónimo, CEO of the National Agency of Oil, Gas and Biofuels, said Begonia's final investment decision was crucial to sustain Angola's production, optimizing existing assets and resources.

"The National Concessionaire will continue to do everything so that operators and their partners have the best opportunities to expand and increase their activity in our country and to contribute to the increased productivity and efficiency of our oil sector," Jeronimo said.

In turn, the Total Energies' general manager in Angola, Olivier Jouny, said this first subsea development of inter-block connection will maximize the use of Pazflor's infrastructure, reduce costs and carbon intensity, in line with Total Energies' strategy.

"In this block, Total Energies shows its leadership in deepwater, at low cost (less than USD 20 per barrel), thanks to the standardisation of the subsea equipment," Jouny said.

The company’s official added that this final investment decision comes before the expected signing of the concession for the Quilemba solar power plant, in Lubango, showing Total Energies' bet on multi-energy development in Angola.

The development project is worth 850 million, in which 70 percent of the work is to be carried out in Angola, mainly at the Luanda industrial base and offshore.

Total Energies operates Block 17/06 with a 30% stake, together with Sonangol P&P (20%), SSI (27.5%), Somoil (10%), ACREP(5%) Falcon Oil (5%) and PTTEP (2.5%).

FACRA, Quanten envisage contract for Soyo Refinery

 Luanda – A financing contract aimed at facilitating the supply of goods and services to the Soyo Refinery Project is to be signed between the Quanten Consortium Angola, LLC, and the Active Fund of Angolan Risk Capital (FACRA).

According to a press note, this partnership comes after an extraordinary meeting held between senior executives of Quanten Consortium Angola and FACRA which decided for major support of local firms.

 

The parties agreed that when Soyo Refinery approves a contract with an Angolan firm, FACRA takes the responsibility to provide financial support to such undertaking.

 

The note also reveals that the two institutions have agreed to finalise the contract in the coming three months.

 

In this ambit, Segun Thomas, one of the managers of Quanten Consortium Angola, LLC, stresses on the note that the firm is honoured for having the opportunity to help local Angolan companies to overcome one of the main hindrances to entrepreneurial success, that is, access to capital.  

 

On its turn, the co-ordinator of the resctructuring committee of FACRA, Teodoro de Jesus Xavier Poulson, said that “this initiative will enable FACRA to fulfil one of its greatest goals, which is to provide leverage to small and medium enterprises.     

Military support reduces deaths in Mozambique - Ambassador

 Luanda - The Mozambican ambassador to Angola, Osvalda Joana, said in Luanda that the support of the SADC and Rwandan military made it possible to reduce the number of deaths in the country, between 2020 and 2021, by 82 percent.

In a recent interview with ANGOP, on the occasion of the 47th anniversary of Mozambican Independence, the diplomat said that the figures until 2021 showed that there were at least 3,000 dead and 850,000 displaced, but with the operations to support the Mozambican forces, the numbers were reduced by 82 percent.

According to the ambassador, the success of the military operations has to do with the successful measures on terrorism against the group of extremists, carried out by the Mozambican forces, supported by the Rwandan military and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

In another part of the interview, the diplomat spoke about the need to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, in the areas of oil and gas, in which Angola has extensive experience, as well as agriculture and tourism.

"Mozambique and Angola have excellent political and historical relations of friendship, brotherhood, solidarity and cooperation. Cooperation is based on the General Agreement signed between the two countries on 5 September 1978 in Luanda, which stipulates bilateral exchange in the socio-political, economic and technical-scientific areas," she said.

Ukraine War: Russia Says 40 Ukrainian Prisoners Killed In Blast

 Russia’s defence ministry says 40 Ukrainian prisoners-of-war have been killed by Ukrainian shelling of a prison in separatist-held Donetsk.

Officials alleged that 75 others had been injured in a rocket strike on the prison camp in Olenivka. The BBC cannot independently verify this claim.

Ukraine’s military denied carrying out the strike and instead accused Russia of shelling the prison.

It said Moscow was seeking to cover up evidence of torture at the site.

“The Russian occupants pursued their criminal goals, thus, to accuse Ukraine of committing ‘war crimes’, and to hide the torture of prisoners and shootings committed there by the orders of the occupation administration and the command of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation,” Ukraine’s General Staff said.

“The Russian enemy continues his propaganda methods of waging information warfare in order to accuse the Armed Forces of Ukraine of shelling civilian infrastructure and the population, hiding his own insidious actions.”

Footage broadcast on Russian state TV shows the smoking wreckage of a building, which appears to contain some human remains. The BBC cannot independently verify the footage, but analysis suggests the building was hit with an incendiary device, not regular artillery.

Daniil Bezsonov, a spokesperson for the Russian-backed separatist Donetsk People’s Republic, said the strike had been a “direct hit on a barracks holding prisoners” and the number killed might increase.

Russia’s defence ministry said the strike had been carried out with US-made Himars artillery and it accused Ukraine of a “deliberately perpetrated” provocation.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Lt Gen Igor Konashenkov, also said eight prison staff had been wounded.

But Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, said the Russian allegations were “a classic, cynical and elaborate false flag operation” designed to discredit Ukrainian authorities.

“This is a deliberate, cynical, calculated mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners, which requires strict investigation. We demand a reaction from the UN and international organizations,” he added.

It has been established that a number of Ukrainian troops who surrendered to Russian forces after a protracted siege at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol were taken to Olenivka.

The troops had held out against a relentless Russian assault on the sprawling site for weeks and surrendered in May after using the plant’s maze of tunnels to shelter from artillery and air strikes.

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Elections2022: First summary of the fifth day of campaign

 Luanda – The fifth day of the electoral campaign which opened on 24 July, was marked by the appeal to voters for civic behaviour to be observed before, during and after the general elections.

The seven political parties and one electoral coalition competing for the 24 August general elections were busy conducting door-to-door mobilisation to garner votes and at rallies around the country to present their parties' governance programme.

 

The leader of Humanist Party of Angola (PHA) Florbela Malaquias presented as priorities of her governance programme the education and health sector, if she wins the elections of 24 August.

Speaking in Cuito city, central Bié province, at a mass event with the local voters, the candidate for president of the Republic said that she will bet on a free of charge education system from the 2nd cycle of secondary school up to higher education.

In turn, the Nationalist Party for Justice in Angola (P-NJANGO) states that it intends to adopt a financing aid for families in need in order to make them sustainable through business to strengthen the national economy.

During airtime slot on National Radio station (RNA), the P-NJANGO party, which is led by Eduardo Chingunji, stated that it will also promote more business in all economic sectors so that the citizens can produce wealth through work.

 

The Nationalist Party for Justice of Angola also took advantage of the day to inaugurate the party’s headquarters in Sumbe, Cuanza Sul province.

 

On the fifth day of the electoral campaign, the head of the UNITA list, Adalberto Costa Júnior, who worked in central Huambo province, promised the implementation of the local elections for 2023, if his party wins the 24 August elections.

 

Adalberto Costa Júnior stressed the need to promote greater de-concentration and decentralisation of public administration, to provide a swift solution to the country´s main problems, as he considered autonomy to be an important factor for community development.

 

During his ten-minute airtime on the RNA station,  UNITA party announced plans to create housing projects for low income families in the country.

 

In Cabinda, the third placed party in the ballot paper, intensified its electoral campaign in rural areas of the main town and neighbourhoods of Cabinda, hunting for votes through door-to-door campaigns.

 

Another contending party, FNLA, which also made use of its airtime on the Angola National Radio station (RNA), said that it will fight against the inflation and facilitate direct credit access for the business sector and to the external investment, should it wins the elections.

 

During the ten minutes, the party presented a proposal on holding of public tender for the privatisation of enterprises.

 

CASA-CE worked in Andulo, Cunhinga and Chitembo municipalities of the central Bié province, where the party presented to citizens its electoral projects.

 

 

In Caxito, northern Bengo province,  CASA-CE candidate for President of the Republic, Manuel Fernandes pledged to launch staff training and quality education.

 

The National Patriotic Alliance (APN), during its airtime on Angola National Radio station (RNA) stated that it will create a faster and fairer justice system, which guarantees the citizen´s trust.

 

In its five-minute time on Angola Public Television (TPA), the vice-president of the party, Noé Francisco Dias Mateus, said that APN wants a free of charge higher education backed by the State, if it wins the general elections of 24 August.

 

The party also made a campaign in Bié, particularly in Andulo, Cunhinga and Chitembo municipalities of Bié.

 

The Social Renewal Party (PRA) announced that it will change the constitution of the Republic regarding the law of the land, in case of winning the elections.

 

According to Benedito Daniel, the head of PRS list, the aim is to give back the land ownership to the people.

 

The leader of MPLA and candidate for President of the Republic, João Lourenço, has been in Menongue since Thursday, where he will hold a mass political event.

 

In Malanje, the party's provincial secretary, Norberto dos Santos “Kwata Kanawa” urged the party´s militants, friends and supporters to be orderly before, during and after the elections, refraining from practices that tarnish the electoral process.

 

In Caxito, the deputy coordinator of the MPLA Political Bureau´s monitoring group in Bengo province, Cândida Narciso, led a door-to-door campaign in Desvio da Barra, Dande municipality, and invited citizens to vote for the continuity of her party.

SADC stresses plan of female inclusion in peace actions

 Luanda - The Executive Secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on Thursday in Johannesburg, South Africa, praised the efforts made by Angolan government focused on arranging the regional consultation on the implementation of Women, Peace and Security Agenda.

In its final communiqué emerged from the meeting on Women, Peace and Security, the regional organisation highlighted the fact that Angola spared no efforts to include young women in peace and security actions.

 

The event is part of the sub-region project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on the Progress of Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Africa.

 

The scheme  aims at increasing the capacity of Regional Economic Communities and other partners to advocate and support their Member States to fulfill their commitments to gender equality and women's empowerment to achieve Agenda 2063.

 

The overall goal was to provide an opportunity for the SADC Secretariat to engage Member States in the implementation of the Women's Peace and Security Agenda, including the state of development and implementation of National and Continental Action Plans.

 

The event also aimed at reviewing the implementation of UN resolution No. 1325.

 

The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, approved unanimously in 2000, urged the States to address the impacts of the conflict on women and girls and systematically integrate their needs and perspectives to ensure the planning of intervention programmes.

 

The Angolan delegation was integrated by Tânia Dinis, a member of the Ministry of Social Action, Family and Promotion of Women, Virgínia Mununga of the Ministry of the Interior, Laurinda da Costa (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and Irany Teixeira (Ministry of Defence and Homeland Veterans).

School dropouts reaches 15% in 2020-2021

 Luanda - At least 15 % of students enrolled in primary and secondary education between 2020 and 2021 dropped out school.

The statistics are contained in studies on the impact of Covid-19 on the education system released on Thursday in Luanda by Education Ministry( MED) and UNICEF.

 

Official data points out that in 2020/2021 academic year, over 10 million  students have been enrolled in general educational system, with 3.1 million for the first time.

 

The MED Statistical Planning Office director, Irene Neto, attributed the dropout to the closure of schools in 2020, a measure taken to curb the spreading of  Covid-19 virus.

 

Studies show that the highest percentage of dropouts was recorded in males in rural areas in secondary schools, compared to primary schools.

 

Provinces of Benguela, Cunene, Cuanza Norte, Cuanza Sul, Cabinda and Huíla topped the list. As for the Minister of Education, Luísa Grilo, the study aims to evaluate aspects related to distance learning to know the reasons for dropouts in the Covid-19 period.

 

It was also intended to assess the attendance of children, adolescents and young people during the period when schools are closed.

 

According to Luísa Grilo, the study also aims to assess compliance with the guidelines on the part of schools to cover the period of missed classes, compliance with the curriculum plan, among other aspects.

In turn, UNICEF representative Ivam Yorevi, said that the institution's report points to almost 156 million students who lost over half of face-to-face teaching over the last two years, worldwide.

And more than 62 million students lost three quarters of face-to-face education, corresponding to two trillion teaching hours lost.

 

East Asian Football Federation 20th Anniversary Seminar: Japan

 On 25th of July 2022 “the Women Empowerment Symposium” commemorating the 20th anniversary of the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) was held at the Conrad Tokyo- Annex Bldg. 2F, Kazanami. This was to conducting keynote lectures and panel discussions focused on Women Empowerment through sports.

The speakers WE League Chairperson & JFA Vice President- Kikuko Okajima
UN Women, Director of Japan Liaison Office- Kae Ishikawa the attendees are Officials of the East Asian Football Federation, ASEAN Football Federation, and Asian Football Confederation.

Kae Ishikawa UN Women, Director of Japan Liaison Office spoke about how to Promote women’s leadership and gender equality in governance models, Prevent and respond to gender-based violence, what to do to close the gap in investment in women’s sport and promote equal economic opportunities for women
and girls, Promoting women’s equal participation and bias free representation in media and Providing equal opportunities for girls in sports, physical activity and physical education.

 

Kikuko Okajima, (WE League Chairperson & JFA Vice President) talked about Woman Empowerment in WE League, and the current situation in Japan
→ the concept of WE League, its goal, the cooperation with UN Woman, its position inside JFA
→ case studies of the above and business collaborations.

Based on the presentation by WE League Japan chairman Kikuko Okajima, the gender gap index in Malaysia is high at 103. “We need to improve the way we promote women’s football, including reporting by the local media,”

Hamidin said at the Women’s Empowerment Symposium held in conjunction with the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) 20th Anniversary in Tokyo, Japan yesterday.

She continue by talking about WE ACTION which is the movement where players, WE club teams and partner companies together realize the league’s mission to promote a society which allows everyone with a diversity of dreams and ways of living to individually shine through women’s football and other sports and together (WE) take ACTION to make it a reality.

There has been a huge gender gap between women’s and men’s football in Malaysia. Malaysia and East Asian countries also need to play a more proactive role in strengthening women’s football in the region to bridge the gap with men’s football.

It was also noted that the coaching leadership for the women’s football team, needs to be elevated to a better level.

“We need to improve, This team needs to be streamlined so that it continues to roar, and this movement needs to start immediately, from the bottom, especially at the grassroots and coaching levels.

“However, as presented at this symposium, the movement to empower women’s football needs the cooperation and support of all parties, especially in media exposure.

Written by Gifty Okoampah and Nana Yaw Pop JafriQRadio

 

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Cristiano Ronaldo Has Told Man United He Wants To Be Released From The Final Year of His £360,000-a-week Contract

 Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Manchester United on Tuesday with his agent Jorge Mendes and has informed the club that he wishes to be relinquished from his contract to free him to join a Champions League side.

United have countered that they have no desire to sell him and maintained last night that there was no change in their stance, nor have they received any enquiries.

Talks have failed to change the 37-year-old’s mind about wishing to leave but he will carry on in a professional manner.

Ronaldo only returned to Carrington on Tuesday after missing all of United’s pre-season tour to Thailand and Australia.

He underwent medical tests and then trained on Wednesday before watching his team-mates in a behind-closed-doors friendly match against Wrexham.

It was thought this weekend’s double-header of friendlies against Atletico Madrid on Saturday in Oslo and Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford on Sunday may come too soon.

But it’s believed Ronaldo may have an eye on the Rayo Vallecano one, which will feature more of a second string side.

He has been working hard in the gym having been excused from the tour for family reasons.

But as a result, Ronaldo has not been immersed in Ten Hag’s methods ahead of the new season and will have to be reintegrated gradually.

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