Africa-Press – Angola. Heads of State and Government representing around 70 countries will be invited to the central event celebrating 50 years of National Independence, to be celebrated on 11 November next year, the Minister of State and Chief of Staff of the President of the Republic, Adão de Almeida, revealed on Thursday in Luanda.
Speaking to journalists at the end of the 4th Extraordinary Session of the Council of Ministers, chaired by the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, at the Palácio da Cidade Alta, the Minister of State explained that the activities to mark the five decades of Independence will begin on 11 November this year and will continue until December next year.
“Since this is an important milestone in our history, the Executive Branch believes that there must be a great day of national mobilization, in which all national citizens are invited to deeply reflect on the 50 years of our life as an independent country”, explained Adão de Almeida, stressing that it is hoped that this moment will also be able to dignify and honor the great legacy that is National Independence and, together, reflect on the future that we want to build.
The highlight of the celebrations, said the Minister of State, will be the central act, which will take place on November 11, 2025, and is expected to consist of a moment of political intervention, through a message from the Head of State and a civic parade, in which thousands of citizens representing the most different segments of Angolan society and our evolution over the past 50 years are expected to participate, as well as a military parade, in which all branches of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) and the National Police will participate.
“We expect that approximately eight thousand guests will participate in this central event, including nationals representing all the country’s provinces, but also foreigners, including Heads of State and other high-ranking representatives from various countries, with a composition that should reach approximately 70 countries invited to the central event”, assured Adão de Almeida, at the end of the Extraordinary Session of the Council of Ministers, dedicated exclusively to the theme of preparation for the 50th anniversary of Independence.
The General Programme of Celebrations commemorating the event, assessed by the Council of Ministers, also includes the holding of a vast set of activities, totalling 115 actions, including seminars, colloquia and inaugurations of infrastructures, to be developed by the ministerial departments.
Likewise, Adão de Almeida added, the Provincial Governments and Municipal Administrations are instructed to implement specific activity programmes, while diplomatic and consular missions in the diaspora should promote, during the period of celebrations of the 50th anniversary of National Independence, events on the occasion of the date, with the participation of Angolan citizens residing in these countries.
“The celebrations range from reflection and review activities, to conferences and more. In the most diverse areas, there is a vast array of cultural and sporting activities, in addition to political activities,” added the Minister of State and Chief of Staff of the President of the Republic.
Honors and decorations
The Minister of State also said that the celebrations of the country’s half-century of Independence will be marked by moments of tributes and decorations for several Angolans who, throughout these 50 years of Angola, and even before the date was celebrated, made an important contribution to the achievement and maintenance of Independence, but were also decisive for peace and the affirmation of Angola, in the most diverse domains.
“A specific program will take place to honor Angolan citizens and, eventually, some foreigners, in relation to whom this merit and relevant contribution to our History is recognized,” he emphasized.
Adão de Almeida also announced that an “ambitious program of infrastructure inaugurations” is being prepared, which should be made available to the population, within the scope of the 50th anniversary of Independence.
During the Council of Ministers session, he said, a preliminary program of the Inauguration Plan was drawn up and a reflection was made on the work that needs to be developed, so that the set of projects can be available, to be included in the General Celebrations Plan.
In terms of central administration actions, to be developed by ministerial departments, Adão de Almeida admitted that the number of projects could reach 100, although he warned that this was also a dynamic issue and that the numbers would change systematically, depending on the progress of the various projects being developed in various sectors.
“However, it is our hope that if the conditions are in place and the teams are naturally working to make this happen, we will have a set of central projects that could, roughly speaking, be close to 100 projects to be inaugurated, to which the inauguration programs of the Provincial Governments and Municipal Administrations will be added”, he argued.
The Minister of State concluded by appealing to Angolans to come together, “each in their own way”, during this period of celebrations, which is expected to honour and recognise the achievements of Angolans and look towards the collective future.
Program of celebrations without an extraordinary budget
The Minister of State and Chief of Staff of the President of the Republic assured, yesterday, that the General Program of the Celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of National Independence will not have an extraordinary budget.
Adão de Almeida clarified that the budget theme for the celebrations of the country’s five decades of Independence is not seen outside the OGE, highlighting that the activities planned in the specific sectors will take place within the framework of each one’s budget.
“There are a set of actions that are routine, in the sense of what is carried out annually in the most different areas”, he explained, in response to a question about the value of the celebrations budget, and then gave an example that, in the case of the Carnival celebrations, which are routine, will take place next year under the sign of a special edition, in allusion to the 50th anniversary of Dipanda.
The budgetary dynamics, said the Minister of State, are the same as those used every year for Carnival, and the same should happen with Top dos Mais Queridos, a national music awards competition, established by Rádio Nacional, stressing that the Executive will, next year, with the responsible sectors, provide an incentive for it to be a special edition, within the scope of the 50 years of Independence.
“We are not predicting an extraordinary budgetary dynamic outside of the usual, but rather converting the annual activities of the sectors, to combine with the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of National Independence”, explained Adão de Almeida.
“We will not have a specific budget unit for the 50th anniversary of Independence. When the Ministry of Territorial Administration organizes the Municipal Fair, the budget it usually uses will be in the ministry’s budget, with the difference that the edition will be within the scope of the 50th anniversary of our Independence”, reinforced the Minister of State, by way of example.
The festivities of the 50th Anniversary of National Independence, on November 11th next year, will take place under the motto “Angola 50 Years: Preserving and Valuing the Achievements Made, Building a Better Future”.
The event will serve to highlight the historical journey of the Angolan people since 11 November 1975, the achievements made in the last five decades in the military, political-diplomatic, sporting, social and cultural fields, as well as to recognise the values of national unity and cohesion, democracy, patriotism, Angolanness, humanism and solidarity.
Yesterday, the Council of Ministers also assessed the Communication Plan on the activities of the 50th anniversary, which aims to strategically outline the actions of promotion, visibility, marketing, communication and mobilization, strengthen the affirmation of Angola as a country with a vocation for peace and political stability, disseminate national culture, promote and encourage tourism.
The event will also highlight the honoring of relevant figures in Angola’s history, before and after Independence; engage the Angolan diaspora and international partners; promote patriotism and pride in being Angolan; highlight the political legacy of the protagonists of Independence and National Heroes, as well as Angola’s role in the liberation of Southern Africa and its contribution to maintaining peace in Africa.
Council of the Republic convened for Thursday
President João Lourenço has called for an extraordinary meeting of the Council of the Republic next Thursday, the 24th, at 10 am, which will have as its sole point information on the General Programme of Celebrations Alluding to the 50th Anniversary of National Independence, which will be celebrated on the 11th of November next year.
Chivukuvuku joins advisory body
The Head of State appointed, on Wednesday, the leader of the PRA-JA Servir Angola party, Abel Chivukuvuku, as a member of the Council of the Republic.
According to a note from the Press Office of the Presidency of the Republic, the aforementioned designation arises from the need to adapt the composition of the Council of the Republic, ending up filling the vacancy that was open until then.
The Constitution of the Republic establishes the Council of the Republic as a collegiate advisory body to the Head of State.
The appointment of Abel Epalanga Chivukuvuku took place approximately eight days ago, since the legalization of the Angolan Renaissance Party – Together for Angola (PRA-JA) Servir Angola, by the Constitutional Court.
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