Luanda, Aug. 1, 2025 (Lusa) - After “days of war”, the population of Luanda is breathing a sigh of relief with the return of calm and greater tranquillity, while the city anticipates measures to maintain employment amid the episodes of vandalism.
The consequences of the riots, violence and looting that took place earlier this week in Luanda, following a taxi strike, remain vivid in the minds of Luanda residents, who describe them as “days of war”.
The tension of the last few days in Luanda contrasts with a return to normality, with the Angolan capital recording, from the early hours of Thursday, the smooth flow of people and vehicles, where the familiar “blue and whites” returned to colour the main roads of the capital.
Bus stops crowded with people, petrol stations, businesses, shops and institutions open for business marked the return to work of citizens, and observers widely noticed the traces of vandalism and the presence of police in strategic areas.
People also noticed the barrier of containers that currently surrounds the headquarters of the ruling party since Angola’s independence, the MPLA (Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola), which maintains police surveillance alongside its committees.
In the town of Cacuaco, north of Luanda, some “zungueiras” (as street vendors are known) drew attention to the intense presence of people and condemned the peaceful “days of war” enjoyed during the taxi strike.
“Today is calmer and quieter (...), the last few days felt like war, and now we can finally leave,” Lucinda Fernando, a zungueira, told Lusa, standing next to her mobile stall displaying jewellery and other trinkets.
Criminals exploited the taxi drivers’ strike, which the drivers organised to protest against fuel price rises and transport fares, to loot and destroy public and private property, and this street vendor observed the events.
“I believe that [this strike] did not advance the country, because everything paused, many opportunities diminished, we missed out and I do not think the state coffers gained anything,” said Lucinda, 33, who said she had “made do” with the little she had in her pantry to feed her children.
With the riots in Luanda, “the country lost a lot, rioters damaged shops and warehouses, and we want to keep this from happening again,” said Emília António Paulino, also a street vendor, who is trying to forget the scenes of destruction she witnessed.
She praised the return to work, recalling that she experienced dramatic moments on the second day of the taxi strike, when she lost some of the goods she was selling and walked home after transport became unavailable.
“Today is very good, on Tuesday we experienced great hardship, we seek peace for the country, we want the country to be well (...). We lost a lot of things, they destroyed a lot and we want our President [of the Republic] to do something for our country,” she urged.
Carlos Joaquim, 21, who says men assaulted him during the looting of the warehouse where he works in the municipality of Hoji-Ya-Henda, told Lusa that he believes the acts of vandalism in the Angolan capital will further exacerbate unemployment in the country.
With a crutch supporting his walking due to injuries in his left foot, which he says stones thrown into the establishment where he works caused, Carlos highlighted the impact of looting scenes on the country’s economy.
“The country can regain ground, and unemployment will automatically rise, because those most affected were shopkeepers and many shops were damaged. Hunger and unemployment will increase, and we have much to lose,” he said.
Taxi drivers and ‘lotadores’ (as the young people who gather passengers for taxis are known) also highlighted the return to normality in their activity, welcoming measures to address the ‘sad episodes’ of vandalism, which resulted in several deaths and injuries.
“What happened was really sad, because we taxi drivers stopped to do our duty, but unfortunately, infiltrated groups with different intentions turned up,” said Osvaldo Manuel, a taxi driver for 30 years, aboard his “blue and white” taxi at the well-known Kianda stop in the Kikolo neighbourhood.
Most of the warehouses in this area were open today, with a large concentration of street vendors and motorcycle taxi drivers. The authorities deployed a Rapid Intervention Police team to maintain order during an attempted riot, according to Guilherme Major, a taxi dispatcher.
Guilherme and his colleague Paulino Pedro José gave “thanks to God” for the start of the day, which proceeded smoothly, and they noted that the days of unrest “were complicated” and that the country lost a lot with the acts of vandalism.
Between Monday and Wednesday, Luanda saw riots and looting during a strike called by taxi drivers, which resulted in more than 22 deaths, 197 injuries and more than 1,200 arrests.
DAS/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
