Africa-Press – Angola. The nationalist and former Angolan Prime Minister França Van-Dunem, who died on the 12th of this month, in Portugal, due to a prolonged illness, was described, by family and friends, as an intensive and limitless person, with many admirers and followers as a teacher and public servant.
Speaking to the press, this Sunday, on the sidelines of the Wake at the Army Headquarters (formerly RI-20), the family spokesman, José Van-Dunem, recalled that his brother did a lot for the country, serving as ambassador , Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Justice, Planning, President of the National Assembly and Vice-President of the African Parliament.
The interlocutor said that the deceased had many friends and that his true passion and commitment to the nation was linked to academia, as he understood that by training fellow citizens he would be making an invaluable contribution to the development of the country and to improving the lives of Angolans.
He believed that with educated citizens Angola would be stronger, which is why, recently and even when he was ill, he published his doctoral thesis, after 50 years, because it was an invaluable contribution to the future generation.
“His great legacy, in addition to the search for excellence, is the commitment he had to the lives of Angolans and the ability to establish bridges, aiming to find the best ways to achieve well-being”, highlighted, Jose Vandunem, highlighting that França Van-Dunem was a man of great convictions and an open mind.
According to the former Minister of Health, part of the family is religious and believes that França Vandunem up in heaven will continue to look after the family with his ability to guide and guide the values he has always defended, as he was a lighthouse within family and who always gave great guidance.
In turn, university professor Carlos Feijó said that França Vandunem made a great contribution to the country and should be looked at in two dimensions: political and university.
“I had the privilege of working with Professor França Van-Dunem in the political dimension and collaborating in the government coordination of Angola”, he rejoices, adding that the positions he held demonstrated his capacity and knowledge in the fields of government and political matters.
“As for the university dimension, the biographical data speak for themselves, because to this day his works and doctoral thesis are republished”, he highlighted, noting that Professor França Van-Dunem’s university career began at the university in the Netherlands and then went to Burundi where in the area of public law he taught several subjects around the 70s.
He stated that França Van-Dunem’s career has not only a national dimension, but also an international one, which is very rare to happen.
According to the rector of the Catholic University of Angola (UCAN), Maria da Assunção, talking about Dr França Van-Dunem forces us to take a step back from history, as he was one of the founders of the Catholic University of Angola.
“As prime minister, he provided the legal support and maximum contribution. And he continued to give his knowledge in private higher education at the Catholic University where he taught since 2000, and went on to make a career. In the end he was awarded the title of professor emeritus, as a deserved recognition”, highlighted the person responsible on the sidelines of the Velório.
The Minister of Tourism, Márcio Daniel, said he had the privilege of being his student and having a very personal story with him.
“Personally, I owe my academic dedication to Professor França Van-Dunem because it was thanks to him that I woke up to a path that I could have left aside. He probably did this without being aware of the impact he had on this career that I later ended up choosing and that I am very grateful for today”, he expressed.
The government official described Professor França Van-Dunem as a great person, full of achievements, and who was able to have such a positive impact on other lives. He added that he was a very simple and humble person.
Born on August 24, 1934, in Luanda, Fernando José de França Van-Dúnem was a career diplomat, prime minister of the Republic of Angola twice (91-92) and (96-99), first president of the National Assembly ( 92-96) and vice-president of the African Union and member of the Pan-African Parliament.
He died at the age of 89, and was also Angola’s ambassador to Portugal and Belgium, deputy minister of Foreign Affairs, minister of Justice and full professor at the Catholic University of Angola.
Across borders, he was, between 1982 and 1986, Angola’s ambassador to Portugal and Spain, after having performed these same functions, between 1979 and 1982, in Belgium, the Netherlands and the European Economic Community, now the European Union.
This Sunday, the wake of the nationalist and former Angolan prime minister was marked with a funeral mass held by the bishop of the Catholic church, Dom Filomeno Veira Dias, and a tribute from the Catholic University of Angola. The ceremony continues this Monday, in the same location, before heading to the Santa Ana Cemetery.
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