Lisbon - Africa's richest woman and
Angola's ex-first daughter Isabel dos Santos expressed interest
on Thursday in running for the presidency despite an asset
freeze and accusations of diverting more than a billion dollars
of state money.
It was the first time the daughter of former president Joao
Eduardo dos Santos, who ran Angola for 38 years until Joao
Lourenco took the helm in 2017, has mooted entering politics.
Asked in an interview with Portuguese TV channel RTP whether
she would be interested in the role of president, which is next
up in 2022, dos Santos said: "It's possible".
Lourenco has cracked down on the role of his predecessor's
children, firing dos Santos from her job chairing oil firm
Sonangol and her brother from the sovereign wealth fund.
The 46-year-old businesswoman nicknamed "The Princess" at
home is estimated by Forbes magazine to be worth more than $2
billion, while two thirds of her compatriots live on less than
$2 a day, according to the World Bank.
In the past, she has consistently identified herself as an
entrepreneur, not a politician.
Dos Santos, her husband Sindika Dokolo and associate Mario
Leite da Silva were subject to an asset freeze on Dec. 31 after
accusations of steering more than $1 billion from Sonangol and
official diamond trader Sodiam to firms where they held stakes.
She denies the allegations as a "witch hunt" forming part of
an attempt to erase her father's legacy and distract from
failures under the new government.
In the RTP interview, she framed the accusations not just as
an attack on her family but as a campaign against future
candidates for office.
"We cannot use corruption, or the supposed fight against
corruption, in a selective way to neutralise who we think could
be future political candidates," she said.
"It's about the fight for power."
Dos Santos, who lives abroad, divides opinion in Angola.
Supporters see her as an inspiring entrepreneur, while
detractors say she embodies African corruption, with her fortune
and Instagram-published jet-setting offensive to the poor.
Dos Santos holds significant stakes in several important
Portuguese firms, including in Eurobic bank, telecoms company
NOS, engineering company Efacec, and oil and gas
company Galp Energia.