Page 55 - OSISA Report 2021

ANGOLA 2019
HIGHLIGHTS 49
HUMAN RIGHTS JUSTICE AND RULE OF LAW DEMOCRACY AND GOOD GOVERNANCE PROGRAMMES
Context
Almost mesmerising rhetoric has marked the mandate of of João Lourenço the President of of Angola As an an unpredictable man filled with metaphors it it is sometimes challenging to follow João Lourenço and understand his political aspirations and and objectives towards the country In a a a a sense he he carries a a a a reformist discourse in the opposite direction He has reacted negatively to criticisms For example during a a a discussion on on on VAT he manifested his dissatisfaction with the opinions of businesswoman Filomena Oliveira where she described members of the tax administration as stubborn and not prepared to listen to to the business sector and citizens Moreover despite the somewhat democratic speech of of the the the President of of the the the Republic the the the issue of constitutional reform has not arisen the current constitution concentrates almost all powers in his hands Indeed the the Angolan president is is the the executive in person all other bodies are subsidiaries Nevertheless it is interesting to analyse some facts that took place during the the year to to understand the the evolution of of the mandate of of João Lourenço better The following is is a a a snapshot of of highlights of of issues that Human Rights and and Democracy and and Good Governance has been engaged in in during the year Fighting corruption through the rebirth of the judiciary?
The mandate of João Lourenço demonstrated that the role of the the Attorney General is is indeed existent in in the the country At the the same time time for a a very long time time the the latter was unknown to to the the population This is is due to to the the number of court cases that have spread and especially publicised The mediatisation of corruption cases and mismanagement of funds have become political instruments of the Angolan government If in in a a sense it gives the the impression of sticking to his speech the the government is also trying to brainwash knowing that the the population could not disagree Nevertheless questions remain about who is genuinely concerned and and why specific individuals are pursued and and others are not One of the the most mediated judgments in the the country came to an end when on 15 August the sentence of the the defendant involved in in the the well-known CNC case was read namely former Transport Minister Augusto Tomás He was sentenced to 14 years in prison for crimes of embezzlement and amongst others economic participation and abuse of power At the the beginning of August it was made public by the the Attorney General’s office that the former President