News as at
February 1, 2026, 11:24 am
Judges Breaking the Law to Jail Critics of President Lourenço
- [Maka] The case of social activist Osvaldo Caholo is not an isolated judicial failure. When examined alongside the detention of Serrote José de Oliveira, widely known as "General Nila," it reveals a consistent pattern of judicial non-compliance with the law in politically sensitive cases in Angola.
Shot By Police, Jailed Without a Crime
- [Maka] On 14 October 2025, the Office of the Presiding Judge of the Luanda District Court denied a habeas corpus application submitted by defense counsel Hermenegildo Teotónio for street bookseller Serrote José de Oliveira "General Nila". The ruling held that he was charged exclusively with the offence of Disruption of the Provision of Public Services, under Article 4 of the Law on Crimes of Vandalism, and with no other offence.
Manufacturing Enemies - Inside Angola's Security State
- [Maka] Detained on 28 July 2025 after being shot by police on the first day of Angola's taxi drivers' strike, Serrote José de Oliveira -- widely known as "General Nila" -- has been held for over six months without formal charges. According to his family and lawyers, he remains in detention despite a guarantees judge's order for his hospitalization and the rejection of a habeas corpus petition.
Cybersecurity - Angola's Latest Tool of Authoritarian Consolidation
- [Maka] Angola has yet to experience a real democratic movement at all. What exists instead is a formal democratic Constitution that permits to entrench an increasingly authoritarian system of power, sustained by the absence of real political democratic alternation, weakened institutions and a systematically shrinking civic space. This system is usually referred to as an anocracy, combining elements typical of democracies with dictatorial practices. These systems are inherently unstable and prone to arbitrariness.
Angola's 'Fake News' Law Risks Criminalising the Internet
- [Maka] Angola's proposed law against "false information on the internet" is a deeply flawed piece of legislation. It is presented as a response to disinformation, yet it reads more like a blueprint for state control of digital speech. In a country where civil liberties are legally established on paper but routinely constrained in practice, this bill accelerates an already dangerous trend: eroding legally established civil liberties through expansive enforcement powers, vague standards and punitive sanctions.
War On Civil Society, Continuity of Plunder
- [Maka] The proposed Law on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that the ruling MPLA is preparing to approve on January 22, 2025, is an act of political desperation. It is designed to conceal the disastrous governance of João Lourenço and to divert attention from Angola's ongoing structural plunder. It is the latest manoeuvre by a party that has ruled the country without interruption since independence in 1975 -- after five decades of state capture.
How Angola Turned a Fashion Designer Into a 'Terrorist'
- [Maka] This report summarizes the case of Aisha Lopes and co-accused, originally published by Maka Angola in 2017. It demonstrates how the Angolan state fabricated terrorism allegations against innocent citizens -- using intimidation, torture, and legal manipulation -- in ways that mirror the recent cases of "terrorism" and "espionage" against journalists, youth leaders and association members. The Aisha Lopes case is included here so observers can understand the continuity of abusive investigative methods, the
Angola - When the State Needs Terrorists, It Creates Them
- [Maka] The Office of the Attorney General of the Republic (PGR) has formally confirmed in writing that the alleged "terrorist conspiracy" connected to the Luanda taxi strike of 28-30 July 2025 never existed. There was no incitement, no violence, no material damage and no criminal plan orchestrated by the leaders of the taxi associations and cooperatives that called the strike. The accusation collapsed entirely, leading to the immediate release of those who had been detained.
A Spy Network That Exists Only On Paper
- [Maka] This text examines the espionage charges within Case File 3846/25-CE, the same case in which Judge António Negrão uncritically validated the terrorism theory already dismissed by the Public Prosecutor. If the claim of terrorism was absurd, the accusation of espionage is nothing short of a parody.
No Money in 2026 - Angola Enters a Dangerous Fiscal Year
- [Maka] Angola debates many topics, but often avoids the most fundamental: how the State will finance itself in the immediate future. A close reading of the 2026 General State Budget (OGE), and especially its financing operations, shows a structural and cyclical problem converging -- the State is likely to run out of money in 2026. The Ministry of Finance's Budget Justification Report confirms extreme dependence on both internal and external borrowing to balance the accounts.
From Anger to 'Rebellion' - How Angola Is Stretching the Law
- [Maka] Social activist Osvaldo Caholo has been imprisoned for almost six months for comments he made during a live social media broadcast at an anti-government protest in Luanda on 12 July 2025. Under Criminal Case No. 3807/25, the Angolan Public Prosecutor has charged him with rebellion, public instigation to crime and public apology of crime -- accusations that rest entirely on spoken words, not actions, organisation or demonstrable criminal capacity.
Angola's War on Words: Turning Journalism into Espionage
- [Maka] Angola's case against journalist Amor Carlos Tomé treats opinion as conspiracy, press clippings as espionage, and critical writing as terrorism -- exposing the fragility of the state's narrative, not the danger of the accused.
Amor Carlos Tomé - From Journalist to "Terrorist" (Part I)
- [Maka] Luanda -- A public broadcaster journalist is charged with terrorism for texts describing a taxi strike that urged citizens to stay home. The case raises urgent questions about press freedom and criminal law in Angola.
Company Apologises to Clients, Promises to Refund After Failed Angola Trip
- [Namibian] Viago Booking, a company that recently took Namibians to Angola and left them stranded, has apologised to clients, saying all outstanding money will be refunded.
When Politics Becomes a Crime in Angola
- [Maka] Luanda -- Angola's prosecutors allege a Russian-backed plot to overthrow the government. What the indictment offers instead is a case study in how dissent can be rebranded as subversion.
10 African Countries With Highest Cost of Living At Start of 2026
- [Vanguard] Living costs differ significantly across Africa, shaped by factors such as import dependence, currency strength, urbanisation and consumer demand. While some countries remain relatively affordable, others stand out for their high day-to-day expenses--particularly for food, dining, transport and utilities.
Angolan Woman Dies in Ondangwa Road Accident
- [Namibian] An Angolan national died on Friday evening after being hit by a pickup truck on the busy B1 road at Ondangwa.
Angola - When the Party Enters the Bank
- [Maka] Angola's continued placement under enhanced monitoring by the Financial Action Task Force(FATF) has once again exposed deep structural weaknesses in the country's banking system. More than the existence of laws, what is at stake is Angola's ability to demonstrate, in practice, an effective separation between political power, bank ownership, and financial supervision. The high concentration of politically exposed persons (PEPs) within the financial system -- often concealed through opaque corporate