Luanda - The President of the Republic, João Lourenço, stated that with the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale the country began a new path towards development and sustained peace, becoming a fundamental part of the SADC development and integration agenda.
The Head of State expressed this idea in a message on the occasion of Southern African Liberation Day, March 23, which takes place Saturday.
“As we celebrate this day, let us remember the bravery of the Popular Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola FAPLA, the Cuban internationalists and the fighters from SWAPO, ZANU-PF, the ANC and the countries of the so-called Front Line, who triumphed in the fight against the apartheid regime”, he stressed.
He underlined that this struggle led to the liberation of Namibia, South Africa and all of Southern Africa, being a clear testimony to the strength and importance of unity of action and solidarity among oppressed peoples.
“Today, we mark Southern Africa Liberation Day, which our region, the SADC Southern African Development Community, set aside to honor the men and women who sacrificed their lives to bring about the Freedom we enjoy today”, he highlighted.
For João Lourenço, several significant events mark this year's celebration, as the implementation of the Mechanism in Honor of the Founders of SADC continues.
On February 18, 2024, he said, he witnessed the inauguration of the statue of Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, first President of the United Republic of Tanzania, at the African Union, in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, as a fitting and powerful symbol that will constantly remember the continent , particularly to the younger generation, the sacrifices made for one of the bulwarks of Africa's liberation.
“The history of our liberation is the history of the region’s existence. For this reason, I am pleased to note that the publications of Hashim Mbita's work, which documents the history of our region's liberation struggle in English, French and Portuguese, have been disseminated in SADC Member States”, he said.
He added that the translation of this same publication into Kiswahili is at an advanced stage and that, once completed, it will be distributed to Member States later this year.
He added that these publications serve not only as an archival collage of SADC's trajectory in its struggle for freedom, but also as a reflection of hope and an aspiration of all to jealously guard and protect the relatively peaceful and stable region.
“As we continue to implement the mechanism in honor of the founders, I salute Member States who have led the way in incorporating the history of Southern African liberation into their school curricula,” he said.
He called on all SADC Member States to continue exploring innovative ways of including these liberation stories in the school curriculum.
For the Angolan President, the future of Southern Africa lies in the ability to educate future generations, associated with the genuine collective determination to guarantee sustainable peace.
According to the President, the Mechanism in Honor of the Founders of SADC includes an annual essay competition for university students in the region.
This year, young people will debate the topic “Describe the roles that the founding fathers played in developing the vision of regional integration” which combines the past, present and future of the SADC integration agenda, “which is our reason for being as a community”.
“The freedom for which we fought and which we so longed for must not wither and disappear over time, but rather serve as a guiding model that inspires future generations to the importance of our collective search for inclusion, so that in fact none of our peoples and nations be left behind” he declared.
When celebrating the Liberation Day of Southern Africa this year, he called for firmness in safeguarding fundamental freedoms, peace and security of nations and embracing and nurturing the collective potential to triumph over any adversity to face in the relationship with the global world and contribute to making it increasingly fair and safe for all inhabitants of the earth. ADR/DOJ
