Luanda: The Minister of Energy and Water, Joo Baptista Borges, has condemned the acts of vandalism of electrical infrastructure, classifying them as serious crimes against public property and the collective interests of the nation.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the minister stated that attacking strategic electrical infrastructure means directly harming thousands of families, hospitals, schools, businesses, and essential services that depend daily on electricity. The minister made the statement during a fact-finding visit to the Cacuaco and Vida Pacifica areas, where, on Saturday, seven electricity transmission towers were targeted by acts of vandalism, causing serious disruptions to the electrical system and affecting the normal supply of energy in several areas of Luanda province.
He noted that each tower destroyed or sabotaged represents high replacement costs for the State, delays in development, and unnecessary suffering for citizens, which is why such practices cannot be tolerated. The minister spoke of the need to reaffirm an appeal to society, communities, and local leaders to strengthen collective vigilance and a culture of responsible reporting whenever suspicious movements or acts against public facilities occur.
He explained that defending national infrastructure is a shared responsibility, so citizen collaboration is a decisive element in preventing crimes of this nature and protecting assets built with public resources for the benefit of all. Despite the vandalism of the infrastructure, the minister reiterated the Angolan government's unwavering commitment to continue improving energy supply to the population and to defend the public interest, in order to prevent criminal acts from hindering the country's progress and development.
He informed that the Ministry of Energy and Water will continue working, in coordination with the competent state bodies, to strengthen measures to protect the national electricity grid, to hold the perpetrators of these acts accountable, and to accelerate investments in the sector. During the visit, the minister monitored the work of the technical teams mobilized to replace the damaged infrastructure and to progressively normalize the system.
He instructed maximum speed in the operational response, in order to minimize the impacts suffered by citizens. As a consequence of this vandalism, more than 45,000 families are deprived of electricity supply, specifically in Vida Pacfica, part of Zango Zero, and the areas of Cazenga, Sambizanga, Mutamba, Praia do Bispo, Val³dia, and So Paulo. This criminal act causes enormous disruption to the population, public services, commerce, and economic activity in general.
