Luanda, June 16, 2025 (Lusa) - Angolan researchers and academics disagree on the changes in Angola in the post-José Eduardo dos Santos era, pointing to progress in infrastructure construction but also political stagnation.
Speaking to the Lusa news agency, Angolan economist Alves da Rocha considered that progress had been made in the post-dos Santos (former president) period in the economic and infrastructure fields, while acknowledging that, in terms of economic diversification, “the process is lengthy and has to meet a number of conditions”, including cultural and institutional ones, for its implementation and consolidation.
On the contrary, Angolan economist Carlos Rosado de Carvalho concluded that, from an economic point of view, “there is no before and after Eduardo dos Santos, it is the same thing,” because “the MPLA [Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola] party still governs.”
“At the end of all these years, what do we see? It’s the same thing, there is no difference from an economic point of view, there isn’t. I think there has been a change in terms of legislation on oil,” he said.
The two economists participated on Monday in Luanda in the launch of the anthology “Angola, pós-dos Santos” (Angola, post-dos Santos), a collection of articles produced by Angolan and Norwegian researchers and international academics who conduct research on Angola, sponsored by the Norwegian Embassy in Angola.
Commenting on Carlos Rosado de Carvalho’s remarks, researcher Alves da Rocha pointed out that “the era of President João Lourenço [who succeeded Eduardo dos Santos] is one of peace,” a context in which “it is possible to do different things, more than in a time of war.”
“President José Eduardo dos Santos, in his 38 years of government or presidency, only achieved peace after 2002, and it must be recognised that in this regard, development plans and programmes were drawn up,” he stressed.
Alves da Rocha agrees, however, with Carlos Rosado de Carvalho on the political point of view, since “the ruling party is the same, the philosophy is the same”.
“Our problem is not the person at the helm, our problem is the system, it is the party that governs Angola (...). There were some changes until the middle of [João Lourenço’s] first term of office, but from the middle of the first term there was a tremendous setback and we returned strictly to the same things that existed before,” he stressed.
In turn, Angolan researcher Francisco Paulo, who addressed “Reducing Oil Dependence as a Driver of Democracy,” stressed that Angolan oil revenues had fallen by around US$8 billion (€6.9 billion) under João Lourenço’s government.
Francisco Paulo pointed out that this deficit led the government to launch a tax reform programme, collecting taxes from the public, who, on the other hand, are beginning to raise their demands, demonstrating greater democratic awareness.
“It is important that the AGT [General Tax Administration] does its job with complete impartiality and that revenues are used to provide quality public services and relieve businesses,” he stressed.
According to the researcher, union demands have increased, with several strikes taking place in various sectors, considering one of the main changes between the two periods to be the scarcity of oil revenues, which require a focus on non-oil taxes.
For Francisco Paulo, there have been changes in the last eight years, but “the big problem is that the standard of living of the public is worse,” especially among young people aged 15–24, most of whom are uneducated and unemployed.
José Eduardo dos Santos, former President of Angola (now deceased), governed Angola between 1979 and 2017, and was succeeded by the current Angolan head of state, João Lourenço, who is serving his second term of office, which ends in 2027.
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