35. Beauty & Cruelty, Privilege & Poverty in Angola: What the future?

20th April 2023

Unusual cliffs of different colours & shapes of rock formed over time by erosion, at Miradoura da Lua

Northern Hemisphere travellers often speak about Africa as if it’s one Country.  Irritating to explain that Africa has more Countries, each distinctive, than any other Continent!

But some issues felt similar in many (not all) African Countries we visited: colonial cruelty; merciless slave trade, key amongst them.

We knew little about Angola – just “memories” of 1970s war stories; 1975 independence from Portugal; later stories of corruption…

Population approaching 36 million, predominantly Christian, Angola has huge oil and mineral wealth. Luanda one of world’s most expensive cities – at least for expats. With centralised, authoritarian Government, its extreme wealth appropriated by previous President, associates, his daughter Isabel dos Santos, (supposedly Africa’s wealthiest woman before she fled – assets frozen, wanted by Interpol for misappropriating Government Funds, but reputedly chilling at “home” in Dubai).  This juxtaposed against desperate poverty of the majority.

Benfica market, opened early especially for us, selling large paintings, wooden sculptures, cotton clothing, printed fabrics.

Walked to Slave Museum and place of slaves’ forcible baptism, before shipping to Americas, astoundingly over 5 million from Angola over centuries. We moved through unable to understand the written Portuguese storyline, in quiet reflection on the sustained horror and cruelty inflicted.

Then to beautiful Miradodoura de Lua, other worldly different coloured striated “moonscape” formed over millennia through erosion. Magnificent baobab trees along way – not the kind endemic to Madagascar!

Through torrential downpour we returned with police escort (that had accompanied us the entire way) and sirens rather aggressively creating a path through the traffic jam, we pondered on the experience: beauty, cruelty, fortune, privilege, poverty, values!

Back on ship we learnt of three “game reserve excursion” vans stuck in mud – postponing our departure for Ghana.

Since coming to power 2017, when Joao Lourenco started tackling corruption and economic reform, there has been hope but not yet traction!  

So, our wish that in Angola, wheels of progress start rolling speedily in our time, unencumbered by mud and jams. May paths with forward movement be created not just for select few, but rather for all its people.

And not only in Angola!

Exhibit of Slaves at Angola’s National Museum of Slavery, reflective of their suffering & the cruelty perpetrated by the slave masters & traders.
Fabrics, similar to many Countries in West Africa, at Benfica Market outside Luanda.
Baobab Tree – many outside Luanda: “Adansonia Digitata”, one of only two types on the African Mainland.
Photograph taken from inside our vehicle, of Traffic Police escorting us & (rather aggressively!) creating a path through the jammed traffic of Luanda.
Enjoying the expansive lunar like landscape at Miradoura da Lua, Portuguese for “Viewpoint of the Moon”