Menongue - The municipality of Cuito Cuanavale, one of nine in the south-east province of Cuando Cubango, has experienced a visible “metamorphosis” over the last two decades, gradually leaving the specter of destruction and embracing multifaceted development.

By Maurício Sequesseque/Diogo Fernandes/Adriano Chisselele, ANGOP journalists

The Stage of one of the bloodiest and most devastating battles recorded in Angola, during the period of armed conflict (1975-2002), the locality records growth in different sectors, particularly in the reconstruction of infrastructure.

After the end of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, which took place from 1987 to March 23, 1988, the municipality gained, in recent years, several kilometers of roads, particularly in the Menongue section (capital seat of the province) /Cuito Cuanavale and vice versa.

Some 190 kilometers of asphalt were recovered, and another seven are under construction.

This is one of the biggest gains recorded in that locality, which has greatly facilitated the mobility of citizens, who have also been awarded a renovated airport.

The municipality, which raised to the category of a town on March 18, 1967, now has the “23 de Março” Airport, built in honour of the heroes of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, which will receive large aircraft from all over the country and abroad.

According to the local administrator, Daniel Alfredo, mobile communication is a reality in the region, where two telephone operators function, in addition to a banking institution.

One of the most significant signs of the transformation of the municipality is the memorial built in honour of the Angolan fighters, known and anonymous, who helped to break the myth of the invincibility of the South African army in the historic Battle of Cuito Cuanavale.

The infrastructure, built in an area of 3.5 hectares, began to be erected in 2008, in charge of a Chinese company.  In 2012, it was transferred to a South Korean company until the date of its inauguration, on September 19 from 2017.

Among the components of the memorial, the lighted torch stands out, symbolizing the bonfire and bravery of the combatant, flanked by 28 symbolic graves to honour the victims.

The infrastructure also has a statue of two soldiers, one Angolan and the other Cuban, to symbolize the support given to Angola, on a turret (top of an armored vehicle) and a monument to the flag, wrapped in the shape of a an AKM assault rifle, with a height of 25.5 meters from base to top and 55 meters in length.

The memorial also has the soldiers' monument, which is a bronze sculpture, 21.5 meters high and weighing 110 tons, made from an existing prototype.

The sculptural group, made of bronze, 55 meters long, represents three sequential moments of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, such as the concentration of units, defensive battle and journey towards victory.

The wall of heroes, 75 meters long, shows the determination of the fighters in honor of their dedication, abnegation and sacrifice, as well as the work carried out by the political commissioners in raising the patriotic morale of the forces.

The war, destruction and suffering of the Angolan people are also portrayed there.

Pyramid Museum enhances exuberance

The beauty, magnificence and exuberance of the memorial to the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale is even more notorious when observing the Pyramid Museum and the Open Air Museum.

Despite being distinct, both in design and in the set of pieces they display, both feature articles that attract tourists from different regions and academics, interested in understanding the history and culture of the region.

According to the tour guide Guilherme Paulo, at the Pyramid Museum, for example, you can find all the documents of the battle and some typical means of the Ovanguela culture.

The museum is wrapped in three giant marble beams, which represent the three branches of the Angolan Armed Forces: the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.

Right at the entrance, the text of the proclamation of the foundation of FAPLA, founded on August 1, 1974, is visible, attracting the attention of any visitor who is then faced with a gallery containing the portrait of the commanders in chiefs, the ministers of Defence , the chiefs of the General Staff, as well as the commanders of the three Army areas.

The badges used by FAPLA and FAA are also in the museum.

Also part of the exhibition is the operative idea of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, as well as the tactical operations carried out to break the opponent.

In the Open Air Museum, all the war material used by Angolans in the defence of the homeland is represented. In total, 18 articles are on display, including tanks of different functions, grenade launchers, trucks and planes of different types, with emphasis on the MIG 21, 22 and 23, BMP 1, BTM 3, PTS and RPG7.

The invaders' material captured by FAPLA, in the Tumpo Triangle, the epicenter of the conflict, namely the "Olifant" tank and the minesweeper, in addition to two other tanks in the same perimeter, represent proof that the myth of the invincibility of the racist army South African was broken in the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale.

Hospitality, tourism, commerce and industry

The municipality of Cuito Cuanavale is rich in natural and landscape resources, with exuberant fauna and flora, in addition to having abundant water resources.

The Cuito and Cuanavale rivers, which give the municipality its name, are perfectly navigable, which can facilitate the most varied forms of tourism and leisure.

According to the municipal administrator, Daniel Alfredo, the district is visited by several tourists, government delegations and others interested in the history of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, who seek to learn about the habits and customs of the region.

Weekly, he explained, they receive between three and four visits from foreigners in the diplomatic tourist field, coming from the Republics of Cuba, Botswana, South Africa and Namibia.

As for the hotel park, he says that the municipality does not yet have a hotel unit, but the construction of a Lodge is already underway, despite some financial difficulties.

In another sense, he explains that electricity, which covers the municipality 24 hours a day, is making it easier for traders to freeze goods, in addition to facilitating the work carried out by the timber industry, as well as the mills (machines for transforming maize into flour) which are the most benefited.

He makes it known that, in addition to local sellers, Malians, Congolese and Chinese also operate in the area of wholesale and retail trade.