Rough Roads TO RECONCILIATION

In 2015, the road to reconciliation started when my dad, my three uncles and I visited the south-east of Angola on motorbikes. Why did we visit this specific area? To put the ghosts of war to rest, 27 years after the Angolan Border War had ended.

During this 2015 trip, we met Angolan General Fernando Mateus, who became a close family friend. As a result, we decided to make it our life’s mission to bring more ex-soldiers to Angola to build new friendships and encourage reconciliation. We put a planning group together, consisting of Oom Jaap, Dad and me.

We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into!

Now it is May 12, 2018, and the group that is entering Angola consists of 83 people and 26 vehicles. At the border post of Katwitwi, we are met by area administrator Carla Cativa, who proves to be a strong lady who knows how to take control of a situation. Getting 26 vehicles to cross into Angola is no easy task, and yet she handles it as if she does this daily. When we enter Angola on the gravel dusty