Lourenco Proves He's No One's Puppet in Angola
- President defies skeptics by dismantling patronage networks
- Ordinary Angolans praise newfound openness and transparency
Photographer: Marco Longari/AFP via Getty Images
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Shortly after becoming president of Angola in September, Joao Lourenco did something completely unexpected: he stopped at a red light.
The incident prompted thousands of social-media users to praise the 63-year-old former army general for abiding by the law. In October, Lourenco waited in line at a KFC restaurant to buy a burger, and then this month, photos surfaced of him and his wife Ana Dias strolling on a beach in the capital, Luanda.