Luanda: The companies that make up the National Electric System suffered a financial loss of over 50 million dollars in 2025. This setback was caused by vandalism to national production, transport, and distribution infrastructures, predominantly orchestrated by individuals who supply stolen materials to known iron weighing houses.
According to Angola Press News Agency, Paulo Filho, the deputy director of operations for the electrical system at Rede Nacional de Transporte (RNT), highlighted the detrimental impact of these acts of vandalism and sabotage. These criminal activities not only impede the implementation of new projects but also disrupt deadlines and the continuity of regular electricity supply across the country.
In an interview with ANGOP, Filho responded to the Angolan Government's recent measure, articulated through an Executive Decree by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. This decree prohibits the purchase and sale of ferrous and non-ferrous materials at 'iron weighing houses', which have been implicated in encouraging theft from the national electrical system. Filho noted that RNT is actively pursuing a program to expand its electricity transmission network, which involves significant investments aimed at interconnecting systems to deliver electricity to consumer centers. This initiative now faces reduced risk of sabotage due to the new regulatory measures.
He further elaborated on the financial burden these acts impose, emphasizing how they strain RNT's treasury and other companies with replacement work, thereby inflicting considerable damage on the country's economy. Filho lauded the banning of these iron weighing houses as a decisive step toward deterring vandalism of electrical infrastructures.
To achieve the desired outcomes of this measure, Filho advocated for continuous inspection actions and urged citizens and communities near electricity transmission lines to support authorities by reporting acts of vandalism and sabotage. He expressed hope that societal mobilization around this common cause would help mitigate or prevent future criminal activities.
Filho explained that the market for ferrous and non-ferrous metals, initially limited to metallic waste, expanded to the extent that market players began incentivizing the 'assault' on public facilities. This development has posed challenges for authorities, highlighting the importance of the ban on weighing houses to reduce the demand for these metals and, consequently, the incentive to vandalize public property.
The Angolan Government's decree, effective from the sixth of this month, aims to curb the rampant acts of vandalism targeting essential public services. The decree revokes all licenses related to the activity of weighing ferrous and non-ferrous metals and establishes inspection measures to prevent illicit practices and safeguard public assets. This legislative act, signed by Minister of Industry and Commerce Rui Miguªns de Oliveira, targets individuals and entities involved in the commercial weighing of these metals, excluding legally licensed industrial units that use them as raw materials within their production processes.
Industries excluded from the decree must ensure that their supply of ferrous and non-ferrous metals is of legal and official origin. This exclusion covers all internal processes related to the industrial use of these metals, ensuring compliance with industrial production regulations.