Africa's richest woman eyes presidency

Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos, who is embroiled in a huge financial scandal, has suggested that she may seek to become the country's president.

In a BBC interview, Ms Dos Santos pointedly declined four times to rule out running for the presidency.

Her father José Eduardo dos Santos ruled Angola for 38 years. Prosecutors are seeking to recover $1bn (£760m) Ms Dos Santos and her associates are alleged to owe the state.

She has denied any wrongdoing.

Ms Dos Santos, 46, is one of the world's richest women, with Forbes magazine estimating her fortune to be worth $2.2bn, making her the richest woman in Africa.

Her father controversially appointed her as the head of Angola's state-owned oil firm Sonangol in 2016.

She was sacked from the post in 2017 by President Joao Lourenço, her father's handpicked successor.
What did she say?

In an interview in London, she repeatedly stressed that her life was at risk if she returned to Angola in the current circumstances.

Refusing to rule out the possibility of running for president, she said she had a strong sense of patriotism and duty to her country.

"To lead is to serve, so I will do whatever my life takes me," she said.

Ms Dos Santos later told a Portuguese television channel that "it's possible" she might run for the presidency in 2022.

The announcement marks a dramatic shift for a woman who has consistently portrayed herself as an entrepreneur with no interest in politics.
Image copyright AFP Image caption José Eduardo dos Santos (l) handed power to Joao Lourenço in 2017

A court in the Angolan capital, Luanda, last month ordered the freezing of her bank accounts and of her vast business empire in the oil-rich country, following a string of investigations into alleged corruption by the Dos Santos family which prosecutors say has robbed the state of more than $2bn.

"These are false allegations and this is part of… an orchestrated attack by the current government that is completely politically motivated," she said.

Her half-brother, José Filomeno dos Santos, is on trial in Angola on charges of corruption.

The prosecution alleges that he and his co-accused helped spirit $500m out of the country during his time as head of Angola's Sovereign Wealth Fund. They have pleaded not guilty.
What has changed in Angola?

Ms Dos Santos repeatedly lashed out at President Lourenço, who succeeded her father two years ago as president.

Despite coming the same party, the MPLA, he has since stunned many Angolans by appearing to target the Dos Santos family as part of a broader anti-corruption drive.

"President Lourenço is fighting for absolute power. There's a strong wish to neutralise any influence that [former] President Dos Santos might still have in the MPLA," Ms Dos Santos said.

"If a different candidate would appear [ahead of the 2021 presidential election] supported by former President Dos Santos or allies linked to him, that would really challenge [Mr Lourenço's] position because his current track record is very, very poor," she added, citing rising unemployment, a stagnant economy and a wave of strikes.

But the allegations of corruption aimed at Ms Dos Santos and her half-brother have been given new weight by the criminal investigations launched against her in Angola.
Image caption José Filomeno dos Santos is on trial for corruption

"The reality is that there is more than enough evidence against her. She's a key figure in the Dos Santos family and a credible threat to Lourenço," said Darias Jonker, a regional analyst for the Eurasia Group, who said that legitimate allegations of corruption were being wielded by the state as part of a vicious power struggle within the MPLA.

"Lourenço is sending a signal that there's a new sheriff in town, with new rules," Mr Jonker added.

"He needs his own patronage network, but his model is much more modest - he won't allow the multi-billion-dollar patronage deals that were a hallmark of the Dos Santos era. Would Isabel support some sort of palace coup? I think it's something she'd certainly consider."

Ms Dos Santos insisted she was being used as a "scapegoat" by President Lourenço, and lashed out at the justice system in Angola, accusing the attorney general of "lying" and of refusing to allow her lawyers to see the evidence against her.

"I regret that Angola has chosen this path. I think that we all stand to lose a lot. A good leader is a prudent leader," she said, calling for a negotiated political solution to end her current legal battles and any further damage to the Angolan economy.


But could she, or perhaps a proxy or ally, oust the current president and pave the way for a triumphant homecoming?

"I am a businesswoman. A lot of people… do like me and do understand what I do and do believe in what I do.