Anger flares in Angola's taxi driver strike

At least 17 people have been arrested in Angola's capital Luanda amid a strike by taxi drivers demanding better roads and the easing of Covid restrictions.

The police accused demonstrators of "acts of vandalism" - including setting fire to a bus, car tyres, and vandalising a building belonging to the ruling MPLA party.

Francisco Paciente, the head of the taxi union Associação da Nova Aliança dos Taxistas de Angola, has already distanced his organisation from those acts, and vowed to continue the strike until a deal is reached with the authorities.

Angola's lean public transport system means that taxis, also known as "candongueiros", are the main means of transport for most people.

A key grievance for taxi drivers are Angola's coronavirus measures limiting the number of passengers they can carry.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

Photo: AFP