Africa-Press – Cape verde. Praia, the Capital City of Cape Verde, celebrates, this Thursday, the 19th, its Municipality Day.
C age 164 years ago, by a Decree of April 29, 1868, the 19th of May is consecrated as Municipality Day, in honor of a group of young activists and pro-Independence of the Archipelago, who faced the Portuguese troops on that date. , in the main Praça do Platô, days after the “Carnation Revolution”, in Portugal, which took place on April 25, 1974.
Since Independence, on the 5th of July 1975, it has been the Capital of Cape Verde, being the stage, of course, of the main Institutions of the Republic.
A cosmopolitan city, it welcomes people from all corners of the country, as well as a significant number of migrants from various corners of the globe.
For being what it is, Praia also presents numerous problems and challenges, which include urban planning, sanitation, crime, unemployment, etc.
The latest data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), recently released, indicate that it has a resident population of 145,378 souls, which represents 53 percent (%) of the residents of Santiago Island and 29.6% from Cape Verde.
With 44,352 households, Praia has an unemployment rate of 14.5%.
Bearing the costs of the Capital, Praia faces the challenges of lack of decent housing, high crime rate (especially young people!), unemployment, among many others.
From 1991 to this part, Praia has had as mayors Jacinto Santos (MpD), Felisberto Vieira (PAICV), Ulisses Correia e Silva and Óscar Santos (MpD) and Francisco Carvalho (from the PAICV and currently).
On its anniversary, Praia is still waiting, “na manso-tame”, for the implementation of its Special Statute, constitutionally enshrined since 1999, in the First Ordinary Revision.
In the meantime, to mark another 19th of May, this Thursday there will be a Special Session of the Municipal Assembly, in Parliament, which will be attended by the President of the Republic, José Maria Neves.
The cultural part is marked by the return of the Gamboa Festival – perhaps the last to take place there! -, on Friday and Saturday nights – 20th and 21st -, which is expected to be very crowded.
The rest is…life, health, harmony, social peace and understanding between people from Praia and those who chose this Capital City – for a variety of reasons! -, for living.
With all this in mind, A NAÇÃO presents this edition of the ETC. the various challenges and problems that the Capital City, of all of us, faces on a daily basis, and an important part of these challenges and problems are also Cape Verdean.
There’s more for the year!
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