Luanda MP Maungu leads protest over wave of brutal attacks

Luanda MP Dick Maungu reading a memorandum on insecurity in the constituency to the Luanda subcounty police commander Richard Siele at the entrance to the station on Monday /IHILTON OTENYO

Luanda MP Dick Maungu on Monday led hundreds of residents in the constituency in peaceful protests against soaring crime that has claimed a dozen lives, leaving behind a trail of blood, grief and unanswered questions.

Victims of the violent crime are not only robbed of life; some are shot in cold blood, while others are butchered with chilling brutality, in most cases without anything being stolen from them.

What was once dismissed by security agencies as isolated incidents of crime has snowballed into a full-blown security crisis targeting small-scale traders and businesspeople attacked on their way home.

Maungu and Luanda Township MCA David Onjiri led the residents in a march to Luanda Police Station, where they presented a memorandum to security chiefs demanding swift action.

“It’s not just the killings that haunt us. Our shops are robbed and our motorcycles stolen. What is even more distressing to the public is that some of these crimes occur in areas a stone’s throw from police presence, but no arrests are made.”

Over the past six months, more than a dozen people have been killed in shootings, stabbings and brutal assaults.

Among the victims were Beverline Afwande, who was shot on her way home after closing her M-Pesa shop, businessman Philip Seka, who was killed outside his gate, and Shem Omoko, a motorcycle rider stabbed multiple times on the roadside.

Maungu called for urgent action to restore security and assure residents of their safety.

The MP demanded increased and sustained police patrols across the constituency, particularly in known crime hotspots and along routes frequently used by traders and residents at night.

He also called for thorough investigations into the killings and robberies reported over the past six months, with a clear commitment to bringing the perpetrators to justice.

“The people of Luanda cannot continue living in fear while criminals operate with impunity,” he said.

The lawmaker also called for strengthened intelligence gathering and the revitalisation of community policing initiatives to dismantle criminal networks.

He said there was a need for a crackdown on the sale and distribution of illegal drugs and illicit alcohol, which he said continued to endanger young people and fuel crime.

Luanda Sub-County Police Commander Richard Siele, while addressing the demonstrators, said efforts to improve security were already underway.

“Some of the culprits behind these attacks have already been arrested and are now facing court proceedings,” he said.

He called on residents to cooperate with the police and share any information that could help dismantle criminal networks.

“We cannot fight this menace alone. The community’s support and timely information are key to making Luanda safe again,” he said.