EDITORIAL: Change sneaks up on Angola
Like SA and so many other places in Africa, change is taking place. Just very slowly
Ever so slowly, they move along. As expected, the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) won the country’s election held last week. But its real significance was that Cold War veteran José Eduardo dos Santos, who is in poor health, will end his 38-year rule. And there was something of a surprise too — major opposition party the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita) won by far its highest proportion of the vote yet in national elections. Estimates are that Unita will win around 27% of the vote, and the MPLA around 61%. That may still change since the result is disputed. In the two other elections that have been held since 1975, the MPLA won 81% in 2008 and 72% in 2012. The big question now is how much things will change, since Angola is effectively a grand family kleptocracy. Although Dos Santos will be standing down, he remains hugely influential, since he remains party leader. His daughter, Isabel dos Santos, is thought to be one of Africa’s ric...
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