Golfing Angola: New Championship Course Opens

Until now, the golfing venues in Angola had been limited to a purely sand course in Benfica, situated just south of Luanda.

Recently, a new championship quality golf course has opened in Ingombota,  a site along the Kwanza River, some 70 km or 1.5 hour drive from Luanda.  Built on a land area of over 200 hectares beside the river,  the 18-hole Mangais Golf Club and Resort course has a distance of 7000 meters.   Designed as an ecotourism project to preserve the local environment and wildlife, the course incorporates 20 lakes and a 7.5 km canal that runs between the lush mangrove forest that encompasses the course.

Future plans for the golfing development incorporate the addition of two more 18 hole courses, a marina, airstrip and a 5 star hotel.  http://www.mangais.com/en/

From "Guns to Roses". An Angolan Soldier's Story

For a former number three of UNITA guerrillas, Antonio Urbano Chassanha, who hung up his uniform in 1992 and is now based in Lobito, Angola's southern coast, the past life of the military, has been changed into that of an entrepreneur, into a branch of floriculture.

In order to settle with accounts of the past and guard those past memories, he has written two books, "Angola: Onde Os Guerreiros Não Dormem” (2000)  (Translated: "Angola: Where The Warriors Don’t Sleep") and  “Esanju: A Rebelde Do Wambu” (2003) (An Umbundu language title) on the history and legends with ovimbundo traditions that pass from generation to generation through the oral tradition.

Now living in Catumbela, between Lobito and Benguela, Urban Chassanha explains that now being refurbished from the Angolan Armed Forces, he does not want to spend the rest of the days "sitting on the couch in front of a television."

Together with his wife, Anabela, three years ago they had the idea of producing plant species replantings and from there progressed to the production of ornamental trees, plants and flowers.

"I had a teacher who said that, ‘He who knows suffering better appreciates the happiness of others.’ Indeed, creating life through seed matter, having expectations for it to pop up, keeping up with its growth and then putting  it in bag is a whole dynamic that gives us much enjoyment, "he says.

Former senior officer of the Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FALA / UNITA),Urban Chassanha was a deputy of the in the "Black Rooster" delegation in the Joint Commission, a body created to oversee the implementation of the United Nations sanctioned Protocol of Peace signed in 1994 in Lusaka.

Three years ago, through his book writing and other events, his life changed and he took on a role in a new vocation: gardening.   He opened his business, Lobitus Garden Horto and his new ambitions were realized.

"We experimented with indigenous trees, whose seeds were taken from an area between Balombo and Bocoio (Benguela province).  These plantings sprung up well and are in good health, and in this success we have the ability, when we are asked, to produce millions of species," says proudly.

Along with him he has 42 employees who help him in the ‘process of creating life’, which is the starting point in the rehabilitation of the living areas of Angola.

Converted to his new identity, Urban Chassanha considers that it has not been a difficult transition from ex-guerrilla to florist.

"I often say that the war did not create us many options. Peace creates us all the possible options and gives us imagination. It was not at all difficult. I like what I have done and have an interest in doing more, because it is an area that gives me immense pleasure,” he emphasizes.

And Angola? Does the country that is more than 10 years out a of civil war that left thousands dead and maimed and destruction behind, ready to replace the bullets for flowers?

"I think the country has all the conditions to move forward. Weaknesses are specific to a process that is not easy.  Also, nobody naturally thinks of the facilities needed for the future. It takes work.  It needs a lot of work," he says.

"I believe that in time all wounds can be healed. He also notes, that he is very pleased with the eagerness of people to learn more, forming an extremely positive sign.  Those of us, the older people, are here to tell them the history "

"I am giving a compass to create this project, but when I feel that this project is up to speed, after a time I  will devote myself to writing," he concludes. (Lusa website)

Removing Angola's Landmines: The Remaining Task

MALANGE, Angola – Ten years after the end of the civil war in Angola, the country still remains, despite its best efforts, one of the most unexploded mine-affected countries in the world. The African nation was due to finish the demining by 2013, but the Angolan government is requesting a five-year extension to complete the task.

According to the United Nations Development Program, more than 80,000 people in Angola have been maimed by landmines since war broke out in 1975, and thousands more were killed.  One out of eight Angolans lives in a landmine-affected community, and the 30 years of war have riddled all provinces with mines.

One of the NGO's working to de-mine the affected areas is the Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) which has 132 local employees and 2 international staff. Beyond the modern equipment and technology that Norwegian People's Aid's team uses rats in their demining efforts. Rats have an exceptional sense of smell and can be trained to detect explosives.  Unlike metal detectors, they can detect both metal and plastic-cased landmines and can release up to 400 square meters of land per day.

NPA also relies on villagers to tell them where the mines and other explosive devices are located. The agency has teams to sensitize the people on the risks and on the danger of mines and other unexploded devices. They have observed that the villagers are very conscious of the dangers and when they find a suspected mine, they work with NPA to remove it. 

The Norwegian NGO works with the national demining commission, CNIDAH, which coordinates the efforts of both NGOs and local demining teams. The commission monitors the operations all across the country.

CNIDAH's departmental head of operations, Brigadier Roque de Oliveira, says the government has put a great deal of effort into demining, because it is deemed crucial for the development of the country.

"For Angola to grow and develop, especially in agriculture, we need to demine. For Angola to build houses and schools that were destroyed during the war, we need to demine. And we need to demine railroads to improve development as well."

Besides agriculture, the country and the region also have the potential for tourism. Just a few kilometers away from the landmines are the third biggest waterfalls in Africa. Ten years ago, few people would venture here. Today, it has become a popular place for locals and expatriates to visit.
 
The Angolan government has recently asked for a five-year extension to finish demining, arguing that only 40 percent of the job has been completed in the past decade. (Voice of America)

Angola's Shipwreck Beach

Some 20 miles north of Angola's capital, Luanda, lies a stretch of beach that is an eerie resting place for 20 + derelict and rusting ships.   Known by locals as Praia da Santiago or Praia do Sarico, the 1.5 mile stretch of beach is better known as Shipwreck Beach or Karl Marx Beach, named after the biggest shipwreck on the beach.  Off shore and along this stretch of beach are dozens of rusting hulks of  tankers, cargo ships and fishing vessels.   Many legends have been passed along concerning how the large ships mysteriously arrived there.  But in reality, with the absence of salvage facilities, the most likely explanations for this site is that the ships were removed from Luanda harbor after being unseaworthy.   Either the ships were intentionally grounded onshore on this beach or their offshore moorings rusted through and the tide and currents pushed them ashore.   Truly an incredibly photogenic spot.

Replanting Angola

Angola is listed as having one of the largest areas of planted forest in Africa, composed for the most part of eucalyptus (85 percent), pine and, to a lesser extent, cypress.  The land considered forested covers about 53 million hectares, about 35% of the country's total land area. However, the area of forests considered economically productive is estimated at 2 373 000 ha, about 2% of the country's area.

Most of the plantations belong to private enterprises (mainly the Railways and the Cellulose Company), while the remainder are State property, managed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.  The Benguela Railway's eucalyptus plantations in the center of the country are some of the largest in all of Africa, originally planted to provide firewood for their steam locomotives.

Unfortunately, and conversely, Angola has an estimated deforestation rate of 5%, one of the highest rates in southern Africa. Zaire province in the north has the highest national rate of deforestation and few forested areas remain in that region. Most of the plantation areas have been degredated as a result of burning, felling for fuelwood and charcoal production, pest and disease problems, and soil degradation.

With an acknowledgement of the need to assess and address the forestry needs after many years of environmental distress from the civil war, the Angolan government recently invited the United States Forest Service (USFS) to Angola to provide forestry evaluations and technical assistance in rehabilitating the resource.  Tree planting campaigns have been initiated in schools and other municipal departments in efforts to replant and protect the forestry resources.

One of Angola's Natural Wonders.

Angola is home to some relatively unknown treasures of this world. As spectacular as any other world-wonder, the Black Rocks of Pungo Andongo rise up majestically over the African savanne landscape. Known locally as the Pedras Negras de Pungo Andongo, these rocks are one of the main tourist sites of the Malanje province. They are steeped in history and intrigue, since no one really knows how the colossal rocks, some up to 200 metres high, came to be here as their geological formation is out of keeping with the surrounding savannah.

Legend has it that in the sixteenth century, Pungo Andongo was the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Ndongo ruled by King Ngola Kiluanji and Queen Ginga Mbandi. Rock carvings found there are said to represent footprints of the fleeing queen who was disturbed by soldiers as she bathed in a stream at the foot of the stones.

In later years, the Portuguese established a military fort among the rocks which was notorious in Portugal. Its name was used to scare naughty children, their parents telling them they 'would end up in Pungo Andongo" if they misbehaved. In the 1920's political prisoners were held at the fort and during Angola's civil war the rocks were a key battleground between opposing forces. (Sonangol Universo Magazine, Sept 2010)

Angolan Agriculture: On the Rebound

Eight years after the end of a 27 year civil war, Angola' agriculture is slowly rebounding.  This is a marked turnaround from the decimation that this sector experienced during the war, given the potential of the rich and fertile land that Angola possesses.

Before independence from Portugal in 1975, Angola had a flourishing tradition of family-based farming and was self-sufficient in all major food crops; Angola was the world's fourth largest exporter of coffee; a competitive exporter of sugarcane, bananas, palm oil and sisal; and self-sufficient in all crops but wheat. But leading up to political changes in 1975, poor global market prices and lack of investment began to severely limit the sector after independence.

The Angolan Civil War (1975-2002), the consequent deterioration of the rural economy and neglect of the farming sector dealt the devastating blow to the country’s agricultural productivity. During the civil war, most small-scale farmers reverted to subsistence farming.  Angola has been dependent on commercial imports since 1977 and was heavily dependent up to the end of the war.  By the 1990s Angola was producing less than 1 per cent of the volume of coffee it had produced in the early 1970s, while production of cotton, tobacco and sugar cane had ceased almost entirely.

The war reduced the nation from being one of the largest food exporters on the continent to being a major recipient of global food assistance. For 30 years, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) conducted massive food aid assistance programs to feed the struggling population.  Even now, as the

agriculture sector rebounds, malnutrition remains a problem. Malnutrition is alarmingly high in the remote areas among the young, with almost one third of children underweight and almost one in two children under age five stunted.

Though there is a marked return to agricultural productivity in rural areas, the advances are proving difficult and slow. Large areas remain uncultivable because of the presence of landmines. Functioning infrastructure in rural areas is limited, and there are few incentives for people to return to farming. After the war, from 2003 to 2004 only 2.9 million hectares (5%) of the available 57 million hectares of arable agricultural land was cultivated.

The Old Man of Angola's Deserts

When the Austrian naturalist Dr Frederic Welwitsch was on a botanical expedition near Cabo Negro in Angola in 1859, he spotted a most peculiar looking plant inhabiting an elevated sandy Plateau.

The same plant was also found 500 miles south in Nambia the following year.  The locals in Angola called the plant Tumboa, but the accepted name has come to be Welwitschia mirabilis.

Angolans are very proud of the wonderful plant, and in many ways the welwitschia could be considered the national plant of Angola.   The welwitschia, being a strong, long-living plant of ancient origins is considered such a national cultural emblem that children are taught about the plant in school.
The welwitschia is a fascinating plant. By measuring the speed of growth of its giant leaves, and by carbon dating, it has been estimated that it can live for more than 500 years, with some estimates extending to 2,000 years.

An adult welwitschia consists of two leaves, a stem base and roots; that is all. Its two permanent leaves are unique in the plant kingdom in that they are the original leaves from when the plant was a seedling, and they just continue to grow and are never shed.  The sexes of the plant are separate, i.e. male plants and female plants. The male cones (as pictured at left) are salmon-coloured, small, oblong cone-like structures, and the female cones are blue-green, larger and more tapering.

The core, especially of the female plant, was used as food for people in earlier times. It is said to be very tasty either raw or baked in hot ashes, and this is how it got its Herero name, onyanga, which means onion of the desert.  (Adapted from Sonagola Universo Magazine)

Angola's Statues and Memorials

Angola has numerous statues and memorials signifying various religious or historical significances.  I will cover a few of the most significant and popular ones here.

Probably the most recognizable is the Cristo Rey (Christ the King) statue overlooking the southern city of Lubango.  This 30 m large, white marble statue of Jesus built in 1945 is only one of three in the world and is a replica of the one found in Rio de Janeiro. 

(When I lived in Lubango during the '90s, I used to look out my kitchen window every morning to see this beautiful statue on the hill over Lubango.)

Still in Lubango is the monument Nossa Senhora do Monte.  This religious site (Catholic) consists of a slender white concrete tower and a series of smaller white pillars whose frame enclose an altar and a tall cross.  At the back of the alter, up some steep steps is a tall, simple chapel, built in 1919, that is annual place of pilgrimage and renewal for Catholics each year.

In Luanda, the tall Mausoleum of Agostinho Neto towers unfinished over southern part of the city. Neto was Angola’s first president, leading the country from 1975 until his death in 1979. Mr. Neto was originally embalmed, in the style of many communist leaders such as Lenin and Stalin, but was apparently later cremated and transferred to the unlit depths of his mausoleum.

Next is the Momument to the Battle Kifangondo.  The battle of Kifangondo  was fought between the anti-communist FNLA, with the help of the Zairian army, Portuguese soldiers and South African Defense Force artillery and air, and the MPLA on November 10th, 1975. The Angolan forces were supported by the Zairian army, Portuguese-Angolan soldiers and South African Defense Force artillery on the FNLA side, and Cuban Special Forces on the MPLA side. The attack, launched by FNLA leader Holden Roberto, was designed to occupy Angola's capital, Luanda, less than a day before the declaration of Angolan independence and relinquishment of control of the capital by the Portuguese.  As his troops crossed, they encountered heavy rocket fire from the Cubans, who ultimately pinned the FNLA between the coast and river's lagoon, decimating them. The South African gunners, outranged by the Cuban rockets, were powerless to help. They ultimately withdrew to a South African frigate, ending SADF involvement in the Angolan conflict.

The explorer Paulo Dias de Novais (1510–1589) founded Luanda in 1575 as "São Paulo de Loanda," with 100 families of settlers and 400 soldiers. The São Miguel Fort built in 1576 by the Portuguese to serve as protectorate and as the administrative centre of the colony.  This old fortress of São Miguel overlooks Luanda Island beyond the port and was a major outlet for slave traffic to Brazil. Luanda was Portuguese Angola's administrative center from 1627, except for the period from 1640 to 1648, when the Dutch ruled Luanda as Fort Aardenburgh.