Thread by @Roboredo1

Apartment building constructed by #Portugal collapsed in #Angola

Abuse by users (water infiltration and clogged pipes) and lack of maintenance (drainage), the collective expression of individual short time horizon

$ was not lacking, notice the modern cars in the parking lot.

Collapse of colonial building is a common occurence, like Judicial Police HQ in 2008, Minister of Interior, then Civil Defese Boss, Laborinho, said that it is the responsabilidade of Colonizer and the colonial administration for building above a swamp.

#WhiteManBurden #Angola

Most of Luanda Modern Colonial apartment blocks were build between 1950 and 1970, their rapid degradation under Angola owners and public administration is replicated in current blocks build by #China: Drain clogged by food dump with watter, floods by water faucets left open

Individually Angolans do not take care of their apartments, much less willing to pay to maintain them, ironacally spend lots of money for cosmetic modifications that creates fissures and infiltrations.

Local administration fail do work on drainage

Public Drainage is needed to keep water away from foundation,wet soils lead to unequal loading of the structure, is clogged and insuficient.

In Congolense Area, water table is at a depth of 1m, water to be pumped out before laying concrete of fondations

Unable, as individuals and as a State, to maintain apartment blocks, @Angola|ns are taking Loans to buy apartments in #Portugal under the European government they fought and among the Europeans against whom they executed a progrom in 1974

expansao.co.ao/angola/interio…

@angola #Angola|ns build vivendas on top of apartment blocks, there is even one case of one storey vivenda !

Electric generators are stored and run inside the build, causing vibrations, walls are destroyed and constructed to change the layout of apartments

Luanda apartment buildings are a kind of vertical favelea, with up to two storeys build on top of existing blocks built by the Portuguesei before 1974

Can you spot the diference ?

It has happened in past, when a people occupied ruins of structures they can't build or maintain

Angolans value their own lives so little, that people would still live inside the building, despite being told to evacuate by the police.

A woman barely escaped from the collapse, carrying a baby.

Of course Angolans are playing political football with the catastrophe, with opposition histerically shouting the the president doesn't care about Angolan life despite the Governor doing so
A batalion of presidential guards are usualy mobilized for visits

Pepetela, #Angola best writter, wrote "the spirit of Kianda" 20 years ago (I have not read it), about how the lack of maintenance would spell their inevitable doom and touch it in his "Cronicas mal dispostas".

Lack of maintenance is a cronic problem in private and public sectors

The rubbles are not even cleared but serial activist are claiming that Luanda Governor is a liar for saying that "so far" there no confirmation of deaths and wounded, maybe should use crystal ball to be sure

This is common histerical discourse in #Angola

Synopsis of the "Spirit of Kianda":

Informed by the NYT of the misterious "Luanda Syndrome", a mysterious succession of apartment blocks collapses over the last decade, An Angolan pastor embark on a quest to defeat the Evil Mermaid Spirit behind it.

Spirit of Kianda is social commentary on maintenance, maybe unintentional allegory about failure of Angolan culture to adopt element necessary for modern life:
1 Literary culture: capture long trends (NYT has to inform them)
2 Logical inquiry: blaming ghosts
3 Short time horizon

Addional stuctures are constructed on the terrace of building: whole vivendas, water storage tanques (many tons), communication antenas,
Also notice the extensive water damage from clogged drains

Yes, there manu vilas on top of theses building, constructed ad hoc, inside people make the apartment bigger by destroying walls and pillars.

A portuguese version of this thread