Luanda: The inauguration of the Ndºe and Calucuve dams this Saturday in Cunene province marks another milestone in President Joo Louren§o's commitment to combating the effects of drought in Angola's southernmost region, following six visits to the area.
According to Angola Press News Agency, Joo Louren§o made his first visit to Cunene as President in May 2019 to assess the impact of the severe drought, which at the time was affecting over 880,172 people and had caused the death of more than 30,000 head of cattle. During that visit, the President traveled to the water wells of Ombala Yu Mungu in Ombadja municipality, 84 kilometers from the provincial capital, Ondjiva. There, he witnessed the suffering of local populations who were manually digging water wells reaching depths of over 20 meters.
This situation prompted the Executive to design an emergency program and subsequently develop structural projects to combat the effects of drought in the Cunene River basin-most notably the Cafu Canal, a project that received the President's direct attention and oversight. With the same objective, Joo Louren§o returned to Cunene in July 2021 to inspect the progress of the canals and the water intake and transfer system in the Cafu section (Ombadja). During that same trip, he also visited the construction site of the Dom Fernando Kevano Guimares housing complex, which comprises 1,000 homes and supporting infrastructure, designed to house a total of 7,000 residents.
On that occasion, the President met with the governors of the provinces most affected by drought in the country's south: Cunene, Hula, Namibe, and Cuando Cubango. The itinerary also included meetings with various provincial figures, including religious leaders, traditional authorities, business representatives, and youth groups. Subsequently, on April 4, 2022, the Head of State returned to Cunene to inaugurate the Cunene River Water Transfer System near the Cafu section, traversing the canal from west to east.
Following this, on August 11, 2023, the President of the Republic visited the construction sites of the Ndºe and Calucuve dams in the municipality of Cuvelai-water infrastructure projects set to be inaugurated this week-marking his sixth working visit to the country's southernmost province. A year later, on August 2, 2024, the Head of State returned to Ondjiva to preside over the inauguration of the "General Simione Mucune" Cunene General Hospital, a tertiary-level referral healthcare facility. The healthcare facility offers various specialized services-notably psychiatry and hemodialysis-and replaces the former building, which was destroyed by a fire in October 2020.
The President's three-day visit to Cunene included a meeting of the Local Governance Council, attended by Vice President Esperan§a da Costa, ministers, provincial governors, and officials from various government departments. On the third day of the visit, Joo Louren§o traveled to the municipality of Cuvelai to inspect the progress of the Ndºe Dam construction project. Cunene province has a population of 1,806,417, distributed across 14 municipalities-Cuanhama, Cahama, Cuvelai, Curoca, Ombadja, Namacunde, Cafima, Nehone, Chiedi, Mupa, Chissuata, Naulila, Chitado, and Humbe-and 10 communes.
