Centro Angolano de Altos Estudos Internacionais

THE PROVINCE OF KUANZA NORTE

248 km east of Luanda is N'dalatando, capital of the province of Kwanza Norte, which is flanked by Bengo to the west, Uige to the north, Malange to the east and Kwanza Sul to the south. This region is characterised by plains and forests and has a tropical, humid climate, with an average temperature of between 22 and 24°C.

The province has an area of 24 110 km2 and has 13 municipalities: Cazengo, Lucala, Ambaca, Golungo Alto, Dembos, Bula Atumba, Quieulungo, Bolongongo, Banga, Samba Cajú, Conguembo, Cambambe and Pango Alúquem. There are 240,000 inhabitants, most of whom live in the capital.

Education and Health
The network of schools in the province of Kwanza Norte is concentrated in the capital city, N'dalatando, although almost all the municipalities have primary schools. The province's government is currently restoring the infra-structures of the sector, investing in the intellectual development of the young people.

Along with education, the health sector also has serious problems in terms of accommodation. The govemment ofthe province has partially refurbished the provincial hospital but not totally, due to lack offunds.

Fishing
As the name of the province indicates, Kwanza Norte is separated from Kwanza Sul by the River Kwanza. Here, a great percentage of the population catches the fish consumed in this region. Traditional fishing methods are used by the people living alongside the province's rivers. Hotels and Tourism

Although it was affected during the war, the commercial and hotelling network in Kwanza Norte is expending rapidly. Kwanza Norte and especially Cambambe, starts to be a place of reference for Angolan and foreign tourists alike.

Although there are not as yet any large hotels in the province, its government organizes leisure trips to various points of interest, in partnership with youth associations and young entrepreneurs.

Agriculture and Industry
Kwanza Norte is a rich agricultural region, producing com, peanuts, avocado pear, pine-apple, sweet po-tato, peas, beans, guava, paw-paw, massambala, sisal, coconut palm and castor oil. Cotton and coffee are two other products of commercial value.

The main industrial complex in the province is situated in the municipality of Cambambe, where there are industries which produce drinks and textiles, while elsewhere in the region there are leather and shoe factories and facilities for the treatment of tobacco and foodstuffs.

The reason why the main industrial complex in in Cambambe is due to the fact that here is the largest hydro-electric dam in Angola, which supplies water to the northem provinces and Luanda. Kwanza Norte also has various mineral resources, such as copper, iron, manganese and diamonds.

PROFILE
Governor of Kwanza Norte
The Governor of the province of Kwanza Norte is Manuel Pedro Pacavira, a member of the Central Committee of MPLA. He has occupied several important positions in the government of Angola, such as Minister of Information and Minister of Agriculture. However, it was mainly in the external policy of the country where Pacavira's actions were most noteworthy, mainly in bringing Angola and the United States of America closer to each other.

After having been Angolan Ambassador to Cuba - considered by many to be a school of diplomacy - Manuel Pedro Pacavira was the Angolan Ambassador to the United Nations during the difficult years of the Reagan administration.

Useful Information
Police: Tel.: (035) 80111

Fire and Ambulance Service:
Tel.: (035) 80115

K Norte Hospital: Tel.: (035) 80042

Red Cross: Tel.: (035) 80103

Angola Telecom: Tel.: (035) 80010

Maio Tourist Attractions
- Massangano Fortress;
- Cambambe Municipality.

Climate
Tropical humid.

How to get There
By rail
Kwanza Norte is connected by rail with the cities of Luanda and Malanje and railway line 600km long, with various towns and villages along its length.

By Road
The province is connected to Luanda, Dondo, Huambo and Malanje. There are regular bus services along these roads, currentiy under repair.

Natural Attractions
Golungo Alto Forest Reserve: This has an area of 558 Km², bordered to the north by the River Zenza, to the west by the Calucais Reserve and to the South by the River Calucama. The region is abundant with many species for hunting: pacaça, hippopotamus, antelopes, deer, hare, wild fowl and partridge. There are also elephants, lions, leopards, wolves, hyenas, jackals and wild dogs (mabeques).

Caculama Forest Reserve: This reserve is flanked in the north and west by the River Zenza, and to the south and east by the River Calucala. It has an area of 800 Km'.

Rivers
Vísit the River Muembeje falls, 10 Km from the city, where the water falls from a heíght of 100 metres onto an immense green plain, 2 km from the cíty, at the top of a hill, there are the Santa Isabel and Sobranceiro water sources. The city has a park with the same name, with lawns, a swimmíng pool for children and adult and belvedere.

Angling
The River Lucala, very near the city, provides various species offish, some ofthem weighing between 15 and 18 Kg.

WATER OF LIFE

The beautiful capital of Kwanza Norte, Ndalatando, was once called Salazar in honour of the Portuguese dictator, Antonio Oliveira Salazar. The small city lies at the foot of Mount Pinda, tucked into a lush green valley. Along with Kwanza Sul and Uige, Kwanza Norte was the heartland of robusta coffee production during the colonial period. At that time Angola was the world’s leading exporter of robusta, which is used as a base for most coffee blends. But if real peace returns to the country, Kwanza Norte could once again become a major producer not only of coffee, but also of cotton and cereals. The northern part of the province is dense, tropical forest and the south is savannah, ideal for cattle rearing.

Kwanza Norte’s real strength is its massive water resources, with three big rivers passing through the province – the Zenza, Lukala and Kwanza Rivers. These provide water for irrigation and the potential for hydroelectric power. Lying in Middle River Kwanza, on the border between Kwanza Norte and the province of Malange is the largest ever civil construction project in Angola, was started in 1986 with a state investment of $750 million paid in oil supplies to foreign companies. To date, an estimated $ 4 billion has been invested in the project, which is run by GAMEK, a state-owned company, with construction work carried out by Brazilian and Russian companies.

However, the dam has yet to produce any hydroelectric power and it is seen in some quarters as something of a white elephant. According to GAMEK’s original schedule, Capanda was supposed to start generating power in December 1993. However, as GAMEK managing Director José Sonnenberg says, “Capanda was attacked by UNITA in November, 1992 and they occupied the area until December, 1994. The dam was badly damaged, and we didn’t start rehabilitating it until 1998. Unfortunately, Capanda was attacked again in 1999, and was paralysed once more. We were only able to restart construction in January 2000 and we now hope to start producing power in December this year. The total cost of war damage to Capanda is well over $ 400 million”. Technically, there are two phases to the Capanda project, the first involving the construction of two 130-megawatt turbines. The second phase would bring the total power generating capacity of the dam to 520 megawatts. This would surpass the whole of Angola’s current hydroelectric capacity.

José Sonnenberg says, “ The power generated at Capanda will be transported along electric pylons to the Cambambe dam, and from there it will be distributed to northern Angola. Once the second phase of the project is completed, we hope to supply more power to the hydroelectric systems already in place in central and southern Angola”. The Capanda project currently has 2,500 employees, most of them Angolans. However, the majority of the experts are Brazilian and Russian, and GAMEK considers this crucial. As José Sonnenberg says, “The real work at Capanda is done by the Brazilians and the Russians. I have a hotline to Brazil and Russia. I never need to go through the central telecommunications system in Luanda. But I do see the importance of encouraging local expertise, so we are now training the Angolans.”

There is, however, one dam in Kwanza Norte, The Cambambe dam that has been functioning since colonial times. It supplies electricity to all of Angola’s northern provinces including Luanda. The government aims to build seven more hydroelectric dams along the Kwanza River, which would generate a total of 5,000 megawatts. Most of this power would be exported to other countries in southern Africa.

Thanks to its proximity to the capital city, Kwanza Norte has also attracted a number of industries. These include the Eka brewery in Dondo and a factory that produces spirits from pineapple juice. There is currently a textile plant as well, though this is out of operation at present. If and when the Capanda plant starts generating power, it is likely that Kwanza Norte will attract more industry and foreign investment. However, until the white elephant rises from its slumber, the kwanza norte will remain something of a provincial backwater.

Capital: N’Dalatando; Area: 24.110 sq. Km; Population: 400.000 inhab.; City Councils: 13 – Cazengo, Lucala, Ambaca, Golungo Alto, Dembos, Bula Atimba, Cambambe, Quitulungo, Bolongongo, Banga, Samba Cajú, Gonguembo, Pango Alúquem; Cimate: Tropical; Main Products: agricultural: coffee, palms, sunflower, rice, cotton, banana, gardening, sugar-cane, beans, mandioc; minerals: iron, manganese, calcareous rocks, copper.