Angolans call for a rollback of fuel price hikes

Hundreds of Angolans participated this Saturday in Luanda in a peaceful march against the rise in fuel prices and to ask the government to reverse these measures, which "postpone the dreams" of citizens.

At 1:30 p.m., the march began from the Santa Ana cemetery, the gathering point, where hundreds of protesters appeared to express their feelings and concerns, with the presence of some deputies from the parliamentary group of UNITA, the largest opposition party, and figures from civil society standing out.

Along the way, the protesters stopped for a few moments in front of the Luanda provincial command of the National Police, calling for the release of the Angolan activist Osvaldo Caholo, detained by the authorities "due to strong evidence of the practice of crimes of rebellion, public instigation of crime and public defense of crime, substantiated in the production of a live broadcast, where he made serious threats against the integrity of general officers, commissioners and other entities, according to a note from the Criminal Investigation Service (SIC).

Posters read: “ The Plates are Empty, Courage is Full,” “Hunger Doesn’t Wait. Our Patience Has Limits,” “The MPLA is the Cancer of the People,” “Diesel Prices Rise, We Fall .”

Several protesters, mostly young people, walked, under heavy police presence, for about three kilometers towards Largo das Escolas, where the protest ended.

Earlier this month, the Angolan government raised the price of diesel from 300 to 400 kwanzas per liter (from 28 to 37 cents). This change was made as part of the gradual removal of fuel subsidies, which has been ongoing since 2023, to bring prices in line with market values by the end of this year.

Speaking to Lusa, student Dumilde Malongui said she joined the demonstration to express her discontent with government policies that have negatively affected citizens' lives.

"The increase in fuel prices is setting back Angolans' dreams, postponing their dreams, as it has a very negative impact on people's lives," he said, highlighting the consequences of rising prices at all levels.

In addition to the increase in fuel prices, the rise in transport fares and school fees is also a concern , highlighting the increase in food expenses, a “huge challenge” for families.

" We are here to express this discontent, not as an affront to the government , but simply to wake up our government," calling on the authorities to "have common sense and backtrack on their measures."

Bruno da Foto is another young man who joined the demonstration due to “the absurd price of fuel,” with a country full of “sufficient resources.”

“[We have] a lot of oil, this price is unacceptable,” said the protester, considering that Angola cannot be compared to other countries, with different realities.

“If in South Africa a liter of fuel costs 800 rand (…) the standard of living there is much better than in Angola,” he said, lamenting the current situation he lives in, because the price of products has risen.

At 28 years old, Bruno da Foto said he has never had a formal job, he lives off odd jobs, but he wants “a job that dignifies man”.

One of the coordinators and organizers of Saturday's protest, Dago Nível, said that the main objective was to protest against the rise in fuel prices and, consequently, the population's living needs.

According to Dago Nível, “ there is a very close relationship between the rise in fuel prices and the rise in taxi fares , pointing to the government’s measure as the fundamental consequence.

"People constantly need to be on the move to earn a living, especially to earn their daily bread. With the rise in taxi fares and the fact that we have an unworthy minimum wage, the difficulties have increased; many of them have great difficulty fulfilling their commitments," he stressed.

Dago Nível highlighted that Angolans are now experiencing "a decline in the basic conditions of the population," which ends up "creating discontent."

This is the third consecutive Saturday demonstration, taking place in Luanda and across some Angolan provinces, against the rise in the price of diesel, public transport fares and tuition fees.

"We've never had three weeks of protests in a row, and today we have constant demonstrations in Luanda and other provinces in Angola, and this, in one way or another, is the result of indignation, frustration, and other things on the part of the population," he added.

This demonstration was organized by the protesting civil society, a platform with several other social movements.

The manifesto, read at the end, emphasizes that "the people cannot and will not bear the burdens arising from rising fuel prices, as well as the rise in public and private taxi service prices. The people do not want this," emphasizing that the increase "is seen by the people as a death sentence."