Luanda - The first President of Angola, António Agostinho Neto, this Wednesday in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), was awarded with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Founders Medal of Honour.
The tribute, witnessed by Maria Eugénia Neto, widow of the founder of Nation, took place during the 42nd Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and SADC Government.
In the same ceremony were also honoured the late Presidents of Mozambique, Samora Moisés Machel, Zambia’s Kenneth David Kaunda, Zimbabwe’s Robert Gabriel Mugabe, Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere, Botswana’s Sir Seretse Khama, the kings of the Kingdom of Eswatini and the Kingdom of Lesotho, Sobhuza II and Moshoeshoe II, respectively.
António Agostinho Neto was born on September 17, 1922, in Kaxikane village, Icolo e Bengo Municipality (then Bengo Province), and died on the 10th of the same month, 1979, in Moscow (former Soviet Union), present-day Russia.
He proclaimed National Independence on November 11, 1975, from the then Portuguese colonial power.
He wrote several poetry books, notably “Sagrada Esperança” (Sacred Hope) and “Renúncia Impossivel” (Impossible Renunciation).
