Luanda - The former journalist of the Angola Press News Agency (ANGOP) Mário Pedro Segundo, who passed away on August 16 victim of illness in Luanda, will be buried on Tuesday at Luanda’s Benfica Hospital.
Luísa Damião, vice-president of the ruling MPLA, regretting the death of the former journalist, considered the late journalist a man who was easy to deal with and very responsible in carrying out his duties.
“Another voice in Angolan journalism has passed away. Our condolences go out to the bereaved family. May God console and comfort the hearts of his family and friends at this difficult time,” she wrote on her Facebook account.
Joining in the moment of grief, journalist Severino Carlos emphasized, also on Facebook, that “the front line of journalists rooted in Sambizanga, loses one of its members”.
“When, in June 1982, I started in journalism with an internship at ANGOP, journalist Mário Pedro had already been on one of the agency's Desks for a long time,” he said.
The journalist David Mário on his turn said, the Angolan journalism has lost a professional who had worked hard for Angola, highlighting Mário Pedro Segundo's experience, ability to lead and rigor.
Born on December 21, 1957, in the municipality of Dande, Bengo province, Mário Pedro Segundo was the son of Tiago Pedro Segundo and Maria Simão António Segundo, both deceased. He was married to Domingas João da Silva Pedro and left four children.
A practicing Catholic, he lived from childhood to adulthood in the Sambizanga district of Luanda, where he attended and finished primary school.
He attended preparatory school at the then Colégio Vasco da Gama, in downtown Luanda, and secondary school at the then Escola Industrial de Luanda, in 1977. He graduated at Faculty of Sciences at Agostinho Neto University.
The former journalist joined the ANGOP staff as a trainee in February 1978. He further interrupted his probation period at the agency, over an awarded scholarship for training in Petroleum Engineering at the Higher Technical Institute of Petroleum and Gas in Baku (Azerbaijan) resuming three years later, after being forced to return to the country due to health issues.
Reintegrated into ANGOP's staff, he resumed his professional career, rising through the various ranks, in the most different desks, having also served as ANGOP's deputy delegate in Portugal, National Editor-in-Chief, International Editor-in-Chief, political editor and head of the Africa Division in the information area.
As a reporter, he covered various events, both inside and outside the country, accompanying ministerial and presidential delegations on state visits and summits, such as those of the then “Front Line”, SADCC (predecessor of SADC), OAU (now AU) and UN.
Mário Pedro Segundo was a founding member of the Union of Angolan Journalists (UJA). ANM/OHA/AMP
