Mbanza Kongo – Angola’s Vice President Esperança da Costa on Tuesday in Mbanza Kongo (Zaire) highlighted the role of the traditional authorities in the transmission of ancestral cultural values to the new generation.
Addressing the traditional authorities of Lumbu (Royal Court of Kongo), the Vice-President of the Republic highlighted the concept of traditional or customary court that, in the region, helps harmonise community life.
"It is an honour to be here in Lumbu, considered the main centre of the customary court, in which eminent traditional figures develop their role in supporting our communities in what is right for the family and the well-being of the whole society," she said.
She also highlighted the continued maintenance of relations between the local traditional authorities and those of the three neighbouring countries that made up the former Kingdom of Kongo, namely the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Republic of Congo and Gabon.
Esperança da Costa said that her visit to Mbanza Kongo essentially aims to see the reality of this historic centre, which joined the World Cultural Heritage list on 8 July 2017, with a view to identifying, correcting and finding solutions to the various difficulties that still exist.
She also reiterated the commitment of the Executive in correcting some of the problems the World Heritage Site still face.
The visiting agenda of the Vice-President includes chairing the 1st Ordinary Session of the National Multi-sector Commission for the Safeguarding of World Cultural Heritage of this year this Tuesday.
Esperança da Costa visited the Museum of the Kings of Kongo, where she received detailed explanation about the historical and cultural significance of the collection displayed there, as well as about its operation.
On Wednesday, the second and last day of her visit to Zaire, the Vice-President will visit the commune of Nkinde, 32 kilometres from the city of Mbanza Kongo, to see the progress of the works at the new local airport.
The delegation includes the ministers of Territorial Administration, Culture, Education, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Public Works, Urbanism and Housing, as well as the secretaries of state of some ministerial departments and officials of her Office.
