Africa-Press – Angola. The completion of 11 kilometers of asphalted streets in the city of Cubal, province of Benguela, marked the anniversary celebrations of that location.
The asphalt is the result of a Public Investment program, which is being developed by the Government of Benguela, within the scope of the public infrastructure rehabilitation program in the most varied municipalities in the province.
In addition to asphalting, the program made it possible to requalify the drainage system, public lighting, sidewalks, vertical and horizontal signage, in several neighborhoods.
The municipal administrator, Paulino Banja, said that with asphalting, traffic improved, facilitating the movement of vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, reducing the risk of accidents.
With the work developed, he acknowledged, Cubal currently has a valued urban infrastructure, which also attracts investments.
“The work developed facilitates access to public services, commerce and leisure, which promotes social inclusion, in addition to making a valuable contribution to a more pleasant and organized urban landscape”, he acknowledged.
The manager defended the population’s participation in the preservation of assets that changed the city’s image and contributed to improving the population’s quality of life.
Other actions
In addition to the special program developed by the Provincial Government of Benguela, the municipal administrator of Cubal also highlighted the gains provided by the Integrated Plan for Intervention in Municipalities (PIIM).
Despite the constraints caused by some contractors, Cubal, with an estimated population of 367 thousand inhabitants, has already made some infrastructure built with PIIM funds available to the population.
The seven-classroom school at the municipal headquarters, the police station in Lomaum and the acquisition of basic sanitation kits were completed.
The administrator lamented the lack of two schools that are delayed due to the inability of the contractors.
According to the municipal administrator, due to this incapacity, as set out in the Public Procurement Law, the authorities were forced to terminate the contracts and the processes are continuing their legal stages.
With PIIM, he stated, it was also possible to build the reference Medical Center in the Yambala communal headquarters. With the gain, he said, the population no longer had to travel around 62 kilometers to receive health care at the municipality’s headquarters.
Production flow
The Cubal administrator also highlighted PIIM’s contribution to improving the connection between the municipal headquarters and the communal headquarters.
“Today we have an increasingly better Cubal, including in the issue of basic sanitation”, he said, exemplifying that, with the kits, the city is cleaner.
“We are already competing for the first prize for the best city in Angola, thanks to PIIM itself, which allowed us to acquire basic sanitation facilities”, he highlighted.
Currently, he explained, we are working on earthmoving the road that connects the municipality’s headquarters to the Tumbulo commune, after finishing the section that connects Yambala.
Paulino Banja reported that, due to technical and financial incapacity, the Baía Farta Municipal Administration terminated contracts with three construction companies.
Cubal, he added, will also benefit from the construction of three schools, one of which is in the Sagrada Esperança neighborhood.
The municipality’s health network consists of 23 units, including two hospitals, the municipal one and the Tchambungo Municipal Mission, with a total of 566 professionals, including 26 doctors, 22 nurses and 47 therapeutic diagnostic technicians and others.
Activities carried out
Located 150 kilometers south of the city of Benguela, Cubal marked, on Tuesday, 56 years since it became a municipality.
As part of the festivities of the date, the Municipal Administration of Cubal prepared a program that includes 16 activities, which began on the 8th.
A lecture was held with the theme “Development strategy, a look at the agricultural sector”, another workshop with the theme “Assertive communication for public managers”.
A march was held to raise awareness among families about actions to combat malaria and a thanksgiving service, which culminated with a gospel show.
On Monday, a radio competition was held with the theme “Learn more about Cubal” and a show “Congratulations Cubal”.
Cleaning campaigns were also carried out in the city’s arteries, as well as a 11-a-side football, futsal, handball and basketball tournament, with the participation of the municipalities of Caimbambo and Ganda.
Origins of the locality
Cubal is limited to the North by the municipality of Bocoio, to the South by Chongorói and Caluquembe (Huíla), while to the West is Ganda and Caimbambo.
In the history of the municipality there are two versions about the origin of the name “Cubal”. The first is associated with the name of a famous woman, called Cuvale, who came, on the run, from Chivititi, Ganda region, where she was accused of witchcraft.
It is said that the woman, who was already old, settled in the region, particularly at the junction between the Cubal, Ganda and Hanha rivers. There, she began to welcome and help travelers. Over time, the name Cuvale began to suffer distortion and due to the “portuguesamento” the word Cuvale began to be pronounced as Cubal.
Another version says that the name came about because it is the place where the Cubal, Ganda and Hanha rivers come together. However, the majority of the municipality’s elders defend the first version.
Municipality open to investment
The Cubal administrator invited national and foreign businesspeople to invest in the municipality.
Paulino Banja reported that, in addition to agricultural potential, the region has quartz, a mineral resource that is being extracted in the Capupa commune.
The municipality of Cubal is potentially agricultural and produces corn, massambala and massango. Cubal also produces large quantities of legumes (jinguba, sesame), among others.
The municipality of Cubal is also focused on large-scale bean production, with the contribution of ex-military cooperatives, especially from Alto Chelequete, which produced more than 80 tons of beans in the last agricultural season.
Electrical energy
The municipal administrator of Cubal, Paulino Banja, announced that the district will be able, by 2027, to benefit from electricity from the national grid, which will contribute to the growth and development of the industrial hub.
“This is the great expectation to be the lever for the development of the municipality of Cubal”, he said hopefully.
Currently, the municipality produces, through generator sets, 1,800 kilowatts, insufficient to meet the demand of the 1,677 residents of the urban area.
In 2023, 900 prepaid and 78 postpaid systems were made available to consumers.
“We have challenges in the Energy sector. Cubal produces energy, but does not have energy. In fact, this is public and we never hide it, because even the provincial governor has touched on this issue. However, there is a green light at the end of the tunnel, with the incorporation of the municipality in the interconnection program in the national system”, he said.
JORNALDEANGOLA
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