As Angola’s fiftieth anniversary of independence approaches, a presidential decision was taken to pardon some fifty convicts, including José Filomeno dos Santos, son of former President José Eduardo dos Santos. José Filomeno dos Santos had been sentenced to five years in prison for embezzlement, a case that hit the headlines and highlighted the fight against corruption in the country.
As head of Angola’s sovereign wealth fund from 2013 to 2018, José Filomeno dos Santos was implicated in a financial scandal involving the fraudulent transfer of funds totaling up to $1.5 billion. This presidential pardon decision comes in a particular context, marked by the celebrations of Angola’s fiftieth anniversary of independence, but also by President João Lourenço’s stated desire to fight corruption and clean up the country’s institutions.
The case, which involved several members of the dos Santos family, including José Filomeno dos Santos, commonly known as “Zenu” in Angola, was one of the first cases to be dealt with in the current president’s anti-corruption campaign. By dismissing his predecessor’s relatives who held key positions, João Lourenço demonstrated his determination to put an end to the practices of embezzlement and poor governance that have long plagued the country.
In addition to José Filomeno dos Santos, other convicts also benefited from this presidential pardon, including Angolan singer Ana da Silva Miguel, known as Neth Nahara. Her case had sparked outrage from Amnesty International because of the conditions of her arrest and detention, including the fact that she was deprived of her medical treatment for her HIV status for several months.
The decision to release the prisoners comes in the spirit of harmony, clemency and reconciliation ahead of the end-of-year festivities and the fiftieth anniversary of Angola’s independence. However, it raises questions about the impact on the fight against corruption and justice in the country, as well as on respect for the fundamental rights of individuals, regardless of their social or political status.