Celebrating With Angola

News Feature 

 By Hakeem Babalola

Scores of guests from different nationalities which include government officials, diplomats, CEOs, and NGO’s converged on Thursday November 11 at Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal to commemorate the day Angolans freed themselves from the Portuguese rule.

Termed the 35^th of the Proclamation of the Independence of the Republic of Angola, the occasion obviously was used to mark self-rule as well as cement the on-going friendship between Angola and Hungary.

The Angolan ambassador to Hungary, H.E Joao Miguel Vahekeni, re-affirmed such rapport when he told guests that the bilateral relation between his country and Hungary remained stronger as ever.

“The bilateral relations between Angola and Hungary are getting stronger and stronger,” he said in his welcoming speech.

Describing the situation further, Mr. Vahekeni combined adjective and noun such as extraordinary, perseverance, peace, development, hope, security and prosperity to express the joy of political and economic salvation in his country of birth.

He continued with fascinating reminiscences of the generations of 50’s and 60’s that opened the way for the future; summing it up as “the beginning of future cooperation”. Vahekeni also used the occasion to thank Angolan friends for their support.  

Meanwhile Konde, Angolan musician and songwriter who was flown in for the commemoration expressed his shock to see Angolans in Hungary speaking the language of their host with such fluency and accuracy.

Konde whose real name is Kondua Martins Dias and who was in Hungary for the first time told African News Hungary that he couldn’t imagine such level of development regarding integration. “It’s just fantastic to hear them speaking Hungarian even though I do not understand a word”.  

Music was supplied by African Centre led by its director, Frank Ekuidoko; while the two dancers that accompanied Konde lured some guests to the dancing floor with electrifying body shake.

African News Hungary also gathered that the occasion provided warm and friendly atmosphere for mingling as guests were overheard discussing various topics from politics to business to cultural integration to social issue and reconciliation.

Ironically, true reconciliation was part of the magic that eventually restored peace and tranquillity to the oil and diamond rich south-central African nation in 2002 after 27 years of intense civil war that claimed many lives and properties.