Luanda, Sept. 17, 2025 (Lusa) – The Angolan government said on Wednesday that national independence is the country's greatest achievement, but the construction of a just society and a new people still pose challenges.
According to the minister of State and chief of staff to the president of Angola, Adão de Almeida, the "timeless" phrase of Angola's first president, Agostinho Neto - "the most important thing is to solve the people's problems" - sums up "the main cause of the struggle for independence, the Angolan people".
"It was necessary to exist as an independent people in order to dream of the well-being of Angolans. With this timeless phrase, [Agostinho] Neto presented the raison d'être of the Angolan people's struggle. National independence is our greatest achievement, but it is not enough," said the minister at the main event of the National Hero Day celebrations, a national holiday in honour of the birthday of Angola's first president, Agostinho Neto.
Adão de Almeida alluded to Agostinho Neto's statements on the day of Angola's independence being proclaimed (11 November 1975): "Our struggle does not end here [with the achievement of independence]. The goal is the complete independence of our country and the construction of a just society and a new people," to point out that these are still the current challenges facing the country.
"This is our challenge. Correctly interpreting the aspirations of the Angolan people at every moment in our history and creating the conditions for each person to realise their dream is the best way to honour Agostinho Neto and all the heroes of all generations (...)", he said.
The minister, who presided over the main ceremony of National Hero Day in the commune of Caxicane, in the province of Icolo e Bengo – Agostinho Neto's birthplace – considered that he left the country not only with its independence proclaimed, but also with an ideology for nation building and a whole journey ahead.
"He left us with a dream to fulfil and an unshakeable conviction. [Agostinho] Neto left us with a hope that is renewed from generation to generation and reminds us that the struggle is not over, but that victory is certain," he said.
According to Adão de Almeida, National Hero's Day is celebrated in honour of Agostinho Neto (whose 103rd birthday is today), but also [in honour] of all the heroes of the homeland, those who are able to understand its challenges at every moment.
The Minister of State pointed out, on the other hand, that Angola is celebrating 50 years of independence, "proclaimed before Africa and the world by President Agostinho Neto," so, he argued, "celebrating Agostinho Neto is a basic act of historical justice."
"And an urgent necessity in the ongoing process of nation building," he said, emphasising that nation building "requires honouring the past, as a sign of respect and gratitude to the memory of all those who gave everything they had, including their own lives, so that we could get here," he stressed.
The construction of the Angolan nation, Adão de Almeida continued, "requires the ongoing reconstruction of the legacy of history, making it a continuous inspiration for us to face the challenges of our times and the challenges of our future."
"Our history is rich in examples of bravery, courage and determination that we must preserve, but it also contains mistakes that we cannot repeat and lessons that we must learn. In each of these moments, the names of illustrious sons of Angola have emerged and continue to emerge, who, with their example of dedication to their country, have inspired and continue to inspire several generations to undertake the same struggle," concluded the Angolan minister.
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