Luanda – Angolan president João Lourenço denied Tuesday the presence of xenophobic acts in the country and described as "ungrounded and unrealistic" the fears that point to the emergence of a campaign in this direction.
"To tolerate racism and xenophobia means to deny our own history," said the Head of State, who was speaking at the opening of the Cabinet Council meeting.
The debate followed the public reactions around the dual nationality of some political party leaders and the likelihood to run for the position of the President.
The Head of State made it clear that for Angola, which paid a very high price with the loss of human lives and infrastructure, for its commitment to fight against the racist and segregationist regime in South Africa (“apartheid”), it is not realistic and credible to talk about some plan to encourage racism and xenophobia.
"The State is watching out, there are no worrying signs. Should it happens, it will certainly be tackled and remedied immediately", warned João Lourenço, to whom the debate around this false problem aims to foster the division among Angolans.
As for looting the public assets, the Head of the Executive Branch said he was sure that the competent authorities will step up efforts to combat this new type of crime, with a tendency to become widespread in Angola.
President João Lourenço expressed concern about those who defile the national symbols and monuments of historical figures, as well as the destruction, theft and looting public goods.
Among the assets, the Head of State highlighted housing, electrical substations, transformation substations, schools, hospital units and other infrastructures, at the service of the population, whose construction cost lot of money to the State.
He considered this practice criminal, conducted by young people with "greed for easy profit", and who do not care about the damage caused to the communities (...).
Appeal to young people and good practices
In his speech, João Lourenço underlined that in general, young people do not destroy, young people build, because "they built our independence.
They built peace and national reconciliation, they are today rebuilding the country's infrastructure, they are building the present and the future of Angola ".
The Angolan statesman cautioned young people about following bad advice stating that bad practices in no way dignify the Angolan youth of whom the country is so proud.
