Adalberto Costa Júnior and the New Wave of Accountability in Angola

Adalberto Costa Júnior and the New Wave of Accountability in Angola

Angola’s political scene is witnessing a surge of bold rhetoric from its leaders, challenging entrenched practices and calling for genuine transparency. Amid a climate of disillusionment over mismanaged public funds, two distinct voices have emerged as catalysts for change: the passionate social media outcries of parliamentarians and the uncompromising address of UNITA’s own Adalberto Costa Júnior.

In recent weeks, Angola’s legislative corridors have been reverberating with a new kind of dissent. Prominent lawmakers, including Arián Lusadisu Nhany and Anabela Sapalalo, have used Facebook as their podium to condemn what they describe as an endemic culture of unchecked favoritism and opaque public contracts.

Anabela Sapalalo’s post resonated deeply among citizens when she declared:

“No longer shall we stand by and watch Angola bleed from the hands of those who only serve themselves.”

Her statement, alongside similar sentiments voiced by Arián Lusadisu Nhany, has sparked widespread discussion online.  The main complaint of Anabela Sapalalo (Special Advisor to the President for Economic Affairs) is the lack of transparency in the government and its contracts: «This week, we had contact with the video of Activist Henrique Stress and the photo of the leaked document and it only confirms our doubts as citizens and people’s representatives in the National Assembly, the government is not being transparent. The public procurement model MPLA government has been using since 2017 (Direct Concession & Direct Procurement) does not guarantee free market competition, it directly affects the model recommended by IMF which is public tender. As a result, only a handful of companies linked to the regime continue to be favored and fattened with the accomplice look of Mr. President of the Republic. That’s very wrong. This document should be the target of investigation by the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic, which at the headquarters of its functions, should look for the parties involved and here citing Mota-Engil and LAR, to explain the content of the letter and the model of project management. To be true, we are facing yet another case of corruption and influence trafficking on Lobito Corridor».

Ordinary citizens, frustrated by stagnant infrastructure and eroded public trust, have rallied behind these calls for accountability. The digital outcry not only reflects an urgent desire for reform but also signals a growing readiness among Angolans to demand that every public decision be subject to scrutiny.

The growing chorus of discontent reached a crescendo during the opening session of the XII parliamentary days in Cabinda, known as “Galo Negro.” Here, Adalberto Costa Júnior, the leader of UNITA, delivered an address that cut through the prevailing rhetoric with startling clarity and urgency.

Costa Júnior denounced the practice of awarding contracts without a public tendera method he described as the “new face of corruption.” He argued that these expedited, simplified processes have funneled vast sums of public money into private hands. According to his account, from 2018 until December 2024, an astonishing 32 billion kwanza (over 700 million dollars) was spent on such direct awards. For him, these figures are not mere statistics; they represent a systemic erosion of public trust and a dangerous opening for monopolies and emerging oligarchs.

“Large scale projects and essential public works are increasingly marred by cartel-like practices. From these off-the-record decisions, new millionaires and monopolies are being born this is corruption, but in a reinvented form that operates with impunity.”

This uncompromising critique not only challenges the current administrative methods but also questions the very foundations of how state resources are allocated. Costa Júnior’s address is both a call for immediate reform and a stark warning that if these practices continue unchecked, they will only further entrench a system that alienates the very people it is meant to serve.

These stirring voices come at a time when Angola’s promise of prosperity, buoyed by its natural resources, hangs in a delicate balance. The practical impact of bypassing standard public procurement procedures goes beyond financial mismanagement—it casts a long shadow over the country’s developmental prospects. While projects like the Lobito Corridor were once heralded as beacons of progress, they now risk becoming casualties in a system where short-term gains for the elite take precedence over sustainable national growth.

The combined force of grassroots digital activism and high-level political denunciations creates an unprecedented atmosphere of accountability. As citizens become increasingly aware of the mechanisms behind state spending, leaders like Costa Júnior and lawmakers like Sapalalo are positioned as potential harbingers of reform. Their messages underscore a crucial truth: genuine progress in Angola will require not only financial oversight but also a renewed commitment to democratic transparency.

The current momentum suggests that Angolans are no longer willing to passively witness a system that sidelines their future for the benefit of a select few. The dialogue initiated on social media, coupled with the formidable speeches in parliamentary halls, might well signal the beginning of a transformative period in Angolan politics. If these calls for transparency and reform gain sufficient traction, they could pave the way for more equitable governance and, ultimately, a brighter future for the nation.

By reimagining both the form and content, this piece shifts the focus from a mere exposé of corruption to a nuanced exploration of how brave political voices are challenging the status quo. It invites readers to consider that in the struggle for accountability, the power of honest discourse may be the most potent tool of all.