Angola’s MPLA Campaigns on Power

As part of Angola’s MPLA political party’s push for reelection the group is campaigning on an increase in social justice platform. Toward that end the country’s president, and top dog in the MPLA Jose Eduardo dos Santos, has promised increased investment in electricity generation.

Dos Santos plans to invest more than $17 billion in electricity generation and distribution over the next four years. The president says the investment is designed to increase social justice by giving low-income classes better access to energy. It is also aimed at creating more jobs in a country that has an unemployment rate averaging around 25-27%.

The promises were made during a campaign speech in Angola's second-largest city, Huambo, ahead of an August 31 general election.

"Increased supply of electricity is a factor of social justice which I consider of great importance, because it is the most needy in society, those who do not have resources to buy a generator, that are most harmed," dos Santos said.

Poor power generation has been a problem in the country for some time. In December dos Santos fired the energy minister Emanuela Vieira Lopes for the sector’s failure to provide adequate power supplies.