Luanda, ANGOLA, December 27 - Angolan head of State João Lourenço is one of the ten African personalities of 2018 elected by the Spanish newspaper El País. ,

 

The list which includes the former anti-apartheid activist, South African Winnie Mandela, also  distinguished several personalities in the fields of politics, sports, the environment, philosophy, culture, cinema and the defence of human rights.

The Angolan statesman was recognised for the way he does politics compared to his predecessor, José Eduardo dos Santos.

El País underlined João Lourenço’s pledge to crack down on graft, including within the structures of his ruling MPLA party and the Government, during 2017/18 period.

As for governance style, El País referred to the way president João Lourenço drew attention last May on  cost-cutting measures, during his trip to France.

 

In addition to João Lourenço and Winnie Mandela, the paper elected the Burkinabe farmer and merchant Yacouba Sawadogo, the Congolese gynecologist Denis Mukwege, the Egyptian politician Al Sisi, and the French-Beninese photographer Laeila Adjovi.

The list includes Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o, Ivorian athlete Murielle Ahouré, Ethiopian diplomat Sahle-Work Zewde, and university professor Felwine Sarr.

João Lourenço was elected recently International Figure of the Year by the viewers of the Portuguese television chain SIC, and by the readers of the newspaper Expresso.

The Angolan Head of State has been in the office  since September 26, 2017.

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