Moçâmedes - The remains of former journalist of the National Radio of Angola (RNA), Alves António, were buried this Monday in the municipal cemetery of Moçâmedes, south-western Namíbe Province.
Alves António died on Wednesday in Luanda, aged 78, due to illness.
During the funeral ceremony, former colleagues, friends and family highlighted the qualities and commitment of Alves António in favour of the Angolan media.
According to the provincial governor of Namibe, Archer Mangueira, Alves António carried out his duties with great dedication, humility and transparency.
‘We were companions on several missions because, for a while, he was a reporter for the National Radio who accompanied the presidential caravans and sessions of the Cabinet Council. As you know, for many years I was the economic adviser to the former President of the Republic, José Eduardo dos Santos, and we had many moments together. He was a very active person in the media, very timely and informed truthfully,’ said the governor.
For his part, the former director of Rádio Namíbe (the provincial branchof RNA), Joaquim Gonçalves, considered Alves António to be a professional who put his work first.
‘He was one of those professionals whose work was the most important thing and who considered time to be the most precious thing so that information arrived in real time,’ he emphasised.
In a message, the Provincial Media Office recalled that Alves António began his career in Namíbe, demonstrating his passion and commitment to journalism from an early age.
‘Throughout his career he made a significant contribution to strengthening the country's media. Likewise, he dedicated himself to other news organisations, always standing out for his professionalism, rigour and ethics,’ reads the message.
Born in the province of Huíla, Alves António joined RNA on 12 September 1987 as a staff journalist at Rádio Namibe.
During his time at the radio station, the late Alves António stood out at various moments in Angola's history, most notably in his coverage of the peace process.
Still at RNA, he held the positions of head of the political newsroom and the secretariat of the Information Directorate, as well as director of Rádio Huíla.
He was also a member of staff at the Angola Press Agency (ANGOP) and served as provincial delegate for Namibe.
In 2014, Alves António was honoured by the jury of the Maboque Journalism Prize, in recognition of his dedication to the profession and as a source of inspiration to new generations.
FA/MCN/DAN/jmc
