Africa-Press – Angola. Angolan President João Lourenço expressed regret on Tuesday in Mavinga that the country’s new political-administrative division was not implemented five or ten years ago, which would have allowed for the development of the three newly formed provinces to be accelerated.
The new political-administrative division, approved on September 5, 2024, resulted in the creation of the provinces of Cuando, Moxico Leste, and Icolo e Bengo.
Addressing the people of Mavinga, in Cuando province, the Head of State stated that if the decision had been made earlier, the region’s level of development would be much more advanced today.
“By this time, we would already have the road connecting Cuito Cuanavale to Mavinga functioning perfectly, as well as the Mavinga/Dirico road and other roads connecting areas that were previously communes and have now been elevated to the status of municipalities,” he emphasized. The Head of State added that there would be more schools for children, more hospitals for the general population, better communications with the rest of the country and the world, as well as an airport and other essential infrastructure, such as water and energy systems.
“You can be sure that, with this level of development, we would also have a much larger population in this region,” he said.
He acknowledged that, at this time, the population is still feeling the effects of the delay, but assured that there is now more action and political will to reverse this situation.
“Better late than never. We made this decision late, it’s true, but we made it. Now, our goal is to execute the projects planned for the development of Cuando province at a speed, if possible, above normal.”
President João Lourenço stated that “we will try to run, without stumbling. Obviously, no one wants to fall. But we will try to run, we will execute the projects at a speed above normal,” he assured.
During his several-hour visit to Cuando province, the President of the Republic chaired a meeting with the provincial government to learn about its socioeconomic situation and outline strategies to boost its development.
The program also includes audiences with the kings of the Kingdoms of Mavinga, Cuito Cuanavale, Dirico, and Rivungo, and religious entities, in addition to the delivery of goods and vehicles to the Cuando provincial government. The President will also visit the area where the new city of Mavinga is beginning to be built.
About the Province
The province of Cuando was created on September 5, 2024, from the eastern part of the province of Cuando-Cubango, within the framework of the new political-administrative division.
The region borders the Angolan provinces of Cubango to the west and Moxico to the north. It also borders the Western Province of Zambia to the east and the Namibian regions of Zambezi and Kavango Oriental to the southeast and south, respectively.
The province is drained by the Cubango and Cuando Rivers. Cubango forms part of the province’s border with Namibia, and its tributary, the Cuito River, forms much of the province’s border with Cubango. The Cuando River runs along or near much of the province’s border with Moxico and Zambia.
Much of its territory is preserved by protected areas, all of which are part of the Cubango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, the largest terrestrial transfrontier protected area in the world. The northern part of the province belongs to the dry miombo woodlands ecoregion, while the south is in the Zambezian Baikiaea woodlands ecoregion.
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