Por Francisca Augusto
Africa-Press – Angola. Angola is preparing to mark, on the 17th of this month, another birthday of António Agostinho Neto, whose political, cultural and social dimension continues to inspire thousands of patriots, particularly young people.
The event constitutes one of the greatest milestones in the country’s history, with Neto as one of the greatest exponents in the fight for freedom and self-determination.
The first President of Angola, the country he led between 1975 and 1979, will always be remembered and cited as a promoter of the ideals of freedom for Africans.
The “National Hero” made a great contribution to the building of free and independent states in Africa, with emphasis on the proclamation of the independence of Namibia, Zimbabwe and the end of the racist Apartheid regime in South Africa.
Neto undoubtedly contributed to building the pillars of freedom in Africa and is undeniably among those who led the country to the end of Portuguese colonization, promoting initiatives that led to the dissemination and appreciation of continental culture.
Humanist, politician and man of letters, he was part of the generation of African students who would play a decisive role in the independence of their countries.Neto’s intervention in the final moments of the national liberation struggle, namely on the military, diplomatic fronts and important political actions, contributed to Angola becoming a sovereign state.
As a statesman, he projected the Angolan revolution and became a symbol of a struggle that, crossing borders, reached the level of the most prestigious African leaders of the second half of the 20th century.
Agostinho Neto’s legacy continues to serve as guidance for the ruling party in Angola, MPLA, to resolve the main problems of the Angolan population.
As the first President, Agostinho Neto laid the foundations on which the Angolan nation is built daily, definitively changing the social and political situation of Angolans, who today are rebuilding a democratic and prosperous country.
Literary activity
His arrest and deportation to the Tarrafal prison camp, in Cape Verde, resulted from the impetuosity of his ideas and writings.
Of his legacy, the poetic work “Sagrada Esperança” stands out, the result of the refinement of Agostinho Neto’s aesthetic sense.
Very well known, memorized, sung and repeated, his poems are part of the Angolan cultural collection studied inside and outside the country, with emphasis on universities in Italy and Madrid (Spain) that make Neto’s writings case studies.
Humanistic sense
In addition to being a poet and the first President of the Republic of Angola, Agostinho Neto stood out as a doctor, both in Santiago (Cape Verde), at the time of his arrest and exile in Tarrafal, and in Angola.In 1966, Neto created the Medical Assistance Service assigned to the MPLA, with the purpose of providing care to guerrillas and civilians, mostly peasants, deprived of this service by the colonial regime.
For everything its figure represents, the month of September gains an international dimension, and, at the same time, the 17th of September has become an indelible milestone in Angola and Africa.
António Agostinho Neto was born on September 17, 1922 – 102 years ago – in the village of Caxicane, municipality of Icolo e Bengo, province of Luanda. He died of illness in Moscow on September 10, 1979.
He took over the leadership of the MPLA, of which he had already been honorary president since 1960, and proclaimed National Independence on November 11, 1975, becoming, therefore, the nation’s highest leader.
Source: ANGOP
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