Angolan president to explain why he hired daughter as head of state oil company

By Polycarp Kazaresam

Angolan president Jose Eduardo dos Santos will soon have to stand before the national Supreme Court and explain why he hired his daughter, Isabel dos Santos, to head state oil company Sonangol.

Dos Santos appointed his daughter to head Sonangol in June after a shock axing of the board. 43-year old Isabel dos Santos promised to increase Sonangol’s transparency and streamline the company’s operations.

However, many criticised the move as nepotistic. Isabel dos Santos’ vast personal wealth has also been scrutinised.  A group of about a dozen lawyers say the appointment breaks Angola’s laws against patronage and thus approached a court.  Angolan law states that public officially may not appoint immediate family, independent news site Rede Angola says.

According to lawyer David Mendes, the fact that the Supreme Court did not immediately dismiss their injunction is a positive sign. Mendes said that this will be the first time the president will have to account to the court, and he is confident that the law is on the right side.

Angola is Africa’s largest oil producer, however Sonangol has recently struggled due to falling oil prices and corruption allegations. Dos Santos and his daughter have not yet responded to the court’s decision.
 

African Business Review’s November issue is now live.

Stay connected: follow @AfricaBizReview and @WedaeliABR on Twitter.

African Business Review is also on Facebook

Share

Featured Articles

SAP creates new EMEA region and announces new President

SAP has announced it has appointed a new President for a newly-created EMEA region, aiming to make the most of the opportunities of cloud and AI technology

How SAP is facilitating continuous business transformation

Technology giant SAP has expanded its portfolio with the acquisition of LeanIX, a leader in enterprise architecture management (EAM) software

Siemens and Microsoft: Driving cross-industry AI adoption

To help businesses achieve increased productivity, Siemens and Microsoft are deepening their partnership by showcasing the benefits of generative AI

Sustainability must become central to corporate strategy

Sustainability

The endless benefits of putting your people first

Leadership & Strategy

Working from anywhere: SAP uncovers secret life of employees

Human Capital