Africa-Press – Angola. The province of Lunda-Norte was created on 4 July 1978, through Presidential Decree No. 86/78, of 4 July, as a result of the division of the province of Lunda into two administrative districts, the other being called Lunda-Sul.
The division of Lunda, according to some opinions, was the best solution, due to the difficulties that the inhabitants faced in traveling to the city of Saurimo, then the capital, where the services of the Local State Administration were installed, to obtain official documents.
The new province had as its first headquarters the municipality of Lucapa, with plans to build a new city in the Mulepe area, which would be the capital.
The project of the then President of the Republic, António Agostinho Neto, was never implemented due to the political instability that the country was experiencing. It was therefore decided that the capital of Lunda-Norte would be moved to the city of Dundo, in the municipality of Chitato, where it remains to this day.
The transfer was justified by the existence of better conditions and infrastructure to house the bodies of the State’s Local Administration.
To lead the new province, former guerrilla João Ernesto dos Santos “Liberdade” was appointed as commissioner, who worked to create conditions for the functioning of administrative services.
The idea was applauded by everyone
To better understand the context that marked the creation of the province of Lunda-Norte, press interviewed two people who witnessed the moment.
Paulo Canhinda, a nurse at Diamang until 1981, currently working as an advisor to the municipal administrator of Chitato, after holding several management positions in the local health network, and the elderly Ana Ngoia.
Paulo Canhinda, 27 years old at the time, believes that the creation of the new province established the basis for the beginning of the process of reducing asymmetries.
The Government’s decision, he recalled, aimed to guarantee the socio-economic development of the Eastern region, stressing that the measure was welcomed by the population of the current province of Lunda-Norte, which faced difficulties in accessing administrative services, located in Saurimo.
“The idea was applauded by everyone. It was the right moment to put an end to the sacrifice of leaving Dundo for Saurimo to deal with a simple document. The Government’s intention was to put an end to regional asymmetries”, recalled Paulo Canhinda.
Limitations on circulation
The early days were marked by restrictions on the movement of people within the province, especially in diamond mining areas, and from there to the country’s capital and other regions. To do so, it was mandatory to present a travel permit issued by the Diamond Security Department (DSD).
The situation severely penalized the population, because there was no freedom of movement from one municipality to another without prior authorization and compliance with certain conditions imposed by security.
“It wasn’t easy. Our life was completely controlled. To travel, we had to go through an interview and say the purpose of the trip, where we were going to stay, the name of the owner of the residence, if it was a worker, security had to verify the veracity of the facts. Only then would we be given the permit to travel”, said the interviewee.
The restrictions on movement, he said, slowed the province’s economic growth, considering it to be one of the main reasons for the declines recorded.
According to Paulo Cahinda, at that time, it was also necessary to justify the origin of the money that each person obtained, so as not to be accused of involvement in the illicit extraction or sale of diamonds, known as “kamanga”.
Health and education services
Gradually, the Government began to take over health and education services, which were previously under the supervision of the diamond company DIAMANG, whose closure gave way to the creation of another company, in this case, the Empresa Nacional de Diamantes de Angola (ENDIAMA).
The Government also assumed responsibility for supplying food to workers only, through Internal Trade, and life began to improve for those who worked, while the unemployed continued to face many difficulties.
According to Paulo Canhinda, everything was controlled, even subsistence farming, under penalty of being accused of diamond mining. People were oppressed and it was impossible to undertake business, because anyone caught was sent to the old Kundueji penitentiary, then nicknamed the “infernal prison”, and in the Cokwe language, N’zambi Ngu Kuase (God help me).
Paulo Canhinda recalled that, although DIAMANG had control over social services, it did not employ the entire population, as it had defined the staff according to its needs.
As for social conditions, not all technicians lived in the residences built by the company.
“The current neighborhoods of the city of Dundo, in the past, were considered as villages. The only neighborhood that existed was the current Bairro-Norte, where skilled workers lived”, he said.
North-Neighborhood
To live in Bairro-Norte, he stressed, it was necessary to be a mechanic, cashier, accountant or another relevant profession, remembering that most of them came from other provinces.
“For local workers to be entitled to housing in Bairro-Norte, they had to have completed high school”, he recalled.
The local workers, he continued, first passed through the current Maboi neighborhood, which was built by the English to house the Europeans’ domestic servants.
“Maboi served as a test for many local workers. Good coexistence and hygiene were essential to be able to move to Bairro-Norte, after many years”, he said, adding that workers from other regions, hired to work in the mines, lived in Txibale (current Bairro-Sul), which had a huge cafeteria, now transformed into a school complex.
In the past, he explained, the urban center was only inhabited by white people and DIAMANG guaranteed basic sanitation, hygiene in homes and maintenance of all infrastructures, which is why Dundo was considered a green, clean and very beautiful city, due to its architectural structure.
With the departure of the Europeans (Portuguese, Belgian and English), the houses began to be inhabited by workers with a certain status in the company. DIAMANG was then managed by Francisco Manuel Lourenço (Ngacumona), who sought to ensure the good image of the city.
Paulo Canhinda said that the lieutenant general was also a manager with an exceptional level of organization.
“He was very strict and even considered by many to be a dictator. Anyone who did not take good care of the house would have their keys taken away and be thrown out on the street. He was very concerned about the treatment of the lawn, having left a slogan “Kanda uliata Kaxinde” (don’t step on the grass).
Paulo Canhinda lamented the current image of the city of Dundo, considering that it has nothing to do with the previous one, due to the bad behavior of many residents, who do not ensure hygiene and basic sanitation.
University education
After 46 years, the nurse highlighted the growth in the Education sector, with emphasis on higher education, with the creation, in 2004, of the Dundo Pedagogical School and, in the following years, the Faculties of Law, Economics and Technique of Cuango.
The emergence of new hospitals and health centers, with modern equipment, and the construction of new schools, the centrality of Mussungue, which provided housing for many young people, commerce, as well as the movement of people and goods are among the advances recorded.
“The youth should be proud of the province”
For Ana Ngoia, 87 years old, Lunda-Norte has seen considerable growth at all levels, considering that young people should be proud of the province.
Having lived in the Camaquenzo-2 neighborhood for many years, Ana Ngoia recognizes that, despite many shortcomings persisting in terms of the quality of services, the Government’s efforts to ensure better living conditions for the population are visible.
In the past, he said, not everything was wonderful, as privileges were for some. As is the case today, those who did not work also faced difficulties, he stressed.
Ana Ngoia highlighted that, today, everyone has access to education, since the Government is building schools, so that children can study, which was not easy in her time, a situation that prevented many people from having an academic education.
“Lunda-Norte is strategic for strengthening the national economy”
The economist and professor at the Faculty of Economics at Lueji A’Nkonde University, José Cangolo, considered Lunda-Norte a strategic province for strengthening the country’s economy, but that it still lacks policies to attract investors in the most varied segments.
The teacher called on the authorities in Lunda-Norte to prioritise the sectors of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Roads, Energy and Water to relaunch the province’s productive activity.
José Cangolo stated that the lack of entrepreneurial culture in the province has had a negative impact on the policies outlined by the Executive, which should be indicators for the growth and development of the district.
“Lunda-Norte has countless potential, from arable land, water resources and road infrastructures to boost the economy, guarantee employment, business and family income”, he highlighted.
The roads rehabilitated over the last 12 years, which connect the different municipal headquarters, according to the source, should constitute the starting point for strengthening local businesses.
In the Agriculture sector, the economist defended the creation of business cooperatives in all municipalities, with the support of the Government, for the development of mechanized agriculture and the promotion of local production, mainly cassava.
Reference in cassava production
Lunda-Norte, according to José Cangolo, is a reference in the large-scale production of cassava, being among the main suppliers of fuba de bombó consumed in the country.
In this regard, he highlighted as a challenge the strengthening of the technical, financial and infrastructure capacity to support agricultural cooperatives, so that they can develop business activities in accordance with modern standards.
According to the economist, the evaluation of the work of companies that benefited from bank financing under the Support Program for Production, Export Diversification and Import Substitution (PRODESI) should also be at the center of priorities.
Data from the Provincial Office for Economic and Integrated Development indicate that 22 producers from Lunda-Norte linked to the agribusiness sectors and commerce and distribution operators received financing via PRODESI and the Economic Relief Program, approved by the Executive.
When asked about the matter, José Cangolo said that cooperatives face the challenge of increasing production.
Cassava cultivation
The State, according to the economist, must, within the framework of the Credit Support Program, encourage producers in Lunda-Norte to specialize in cassava cultivation and create conditions for its transformation.
The fuba de bombó from Lunda-Norte, he added, is highly appreciated for its quality, and is therefore an excellent indicator for a serious investment in the production, transformation and export of the product.
Lunda-Norte also has potential in the production of tubers with high nutritional value, such as sweet potatoes and yams.
With an area of 103,760 square kilometres, Lunda-Norte has a population of 972,183 inhabitants. It is made up of the municipalities of Cambulo, Capenda Camulemba, Caungula, Chitato, Cuango, Cuilo, Lóvua and Xá-Muteba.
Young people have benefited from several social projects
The Executive Secretary of the Provincial Youth Council in Lunda-Norte, Mateus Pensa, speaks of the progress that the province has made over the past 46 years.
According to the youth leader, the youth have benefited from several social projects. He highlighted the centrality of Mussungue, which has helped to alleviate the housing problems of many families, the Youth Neighborhood, the National Road 225, which connects the municipality of Chitato to Xá-Muteba, with a length of 540 kilometers, and the emergence of the Lueji A’Nkonde University.
The Luachimo Hydroelectric Plant, which improved the supply of electricity to the city of Dundo and the outlying neighborhoods, the construction of hospitals with a considerable number of beds and with several services that did not exist in the past were also highlighted by the secretary of the Provincial Youth Council.
Mateus Pensa highlighted that, despite the financial difficulties the country is experiencing, the Government is making an effort to materialize the desires of the population and the youth in particular, creating the conditions to prevent the flight of staff from the province.
The youth leader requested the opening of a Faculty of Medicine and another of Geology and Mining.
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