PRESIDENT NYUSI TO VISIT UNITED STATES

The Confederation of Mozambican Business Associations (CTA) has revealed that President Filipe Nyusi will pay a working visit to the United States from 14 to 17 September.In a statement, the CTA called for Mozambican entrepreneurs to join its delegation which, along with President Nyusi, will participate in two business forums.The first meeting will be held in Washington on 15 September, organised by the Mozambican embassy and the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA). It will focus on agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and tourism.The second forum will be held the next day in Houston, organised by the embassy and the Greater Houston Partnership. The city is the capital of the US hydrocarbon industry, and the business meeting will look at Mozambique’s future growth in this sector and the future business opportunities.During his time in the United States, President Nyusi will also attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York, which begins on 13 September with the General Debate opening on 20 September.

BREAKING NEWS BREAKING NEWS BREAKING NEWS BREAKING NEWS

The delegations appointed by Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi and by the leader of the Renamo rebels, Afonso Dhlakama, have reached agreement that a package of legislation on decentralization should be drawn up by November, for presentation to the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic.

The agreement was announced on Wednesday morning at the end of a meeting between the government/Renamo Joint Commission, which discussed only the first point on its agenda – namely the demand by Renamo that it should be allowed to govern the six provinces which it claims to have won in the October 2014 general elections.

A brief statement, read out to reporters by the head of the Renamo side, Jose Manteigas, said that the two delegations had reached consensus that the Renamo demand “should be discussed in the framework of national unity and the process of administrative decentralization, granting more decision making powers to local state bodies, including financial resources, and the decentralized form of election/appointment of Provincial Government”.

This formulation sidesteps the issue of whether provincial governors should be appointed or elected. Under the current Constitution the President of the Republic appoints all the provincial governors. Dhlakama, however, wants the right to appoint governors in those provinces which he says were won by Renamo. The second opposition party, the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM – which is not represented at the current talks) has insisted that the governors should be elected, and not appointed.

The two delegations agreed to set up a sub-commission charged with drawing up the package of legislation to be submitted to the Assembly. There are seven points in this package, the most important of which is the constitutional amendment necessary to change the way in which provincial governors (and other local state bodies) are appointed or elected.

The sub-commission must amend the Law on Local State Bodies and its regulations, the Law on Provincial Assemblies, and the Law on the Organisation and Functioning of the Public Administration. New laws are to be drafted on the bodies of the provincial governments, and on provincial finances.

Finally, the sub-commission must “re-examine” the 1994 law on “municipal districts”. This law would have made each and every district a municipality. It was never implemented, but was replaced by a gradual approach to municipalisation. Thus initially only the 23 urban areas with city status, plus ten towns (one in each province) were granted municipal status, with directly elected mayors and municipal assemblies. Subsequently, 20 more towns have become municipalities, raising the total number of towns and cities where municipal elections were held in 2013 to 53.

Reverting to the 1994 model of municipal districts may prove difficult to reconcile with current municipal legislation, and would certainly be extremely expensive.

Despite this proposed package of legislation, Renamo still wants some way of ruling the six provinces it claims in the near future, before those laws can take effect. Thus the consensual statement from the Joint Commission declared “legal mechanisms should be found for the provisional appointment of provincial governors from Renamo as quickly as possible”.

Under the current constitution the only possible legal mechanism would be for Renamo to submit names to Nyusi who would then appoint them as governors.

Renamo has insistently claimed that it won the 2014 elections in the six central and northern provinces of Manica, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia, Nampula and Niassa. 

But this claim is untrue. Dhlakama topped the poll in the presidential election in five provinces (Sofala, Zambezia, Manica, Tete and Nampula), but Renamo only won a majority of votes in the parliamentary elections in Sofala and Zambezia. 

In the election for provincial assemblies, Renamo won a majority in Sofala, Zambezia and Tete, while in Nampula both Renamo and the ruling Frelimo Party won 46 seats. In Manica, Frelimo won one seat more than Renamo. 

As for Niassa, Frelimo (and Nyusi, who was then its presidential candidate) won in all three elections. 

The statement from the Commission said nothing at all about any of the other points on the agenda – in particular, there is no commitment from Renamo to halt military hostilities or to disarm its militia.

As for the proposed meeting between the team of foreign mediators and Dhlakama, this too was not discussed, and no firm date has yet been set for the mediators to visit Dhlakama at his military base in the Sofala district of Gorongosa.

18.12% in Beira’s 1st half

Annual average inflation rose to 11.7 percent in July, its highest for four years.As the price of products and services again rises across the country, life is becoming increasingly difficult. Families who have already cut their costs will have to cut further, and the management of family budget will have to be even more careful.Data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) reveals the details. The price of cooking oil rose 7 percent in July; rice, 2.2 percent; onions are 5.5 percent more expensive and horse mackerel is up by 4.7 percent. Neither does the drama end there. The price of corn flour and dried fish increased by 1.3 percent and 4.8 percent respectively.From January to July of this year, the city of Beira, in Sofala, registered the highest increase at 18.12 percent, followed by Nampula with 12.17 percent and Maputo with 8.42 percent.Up until July 2015, average annual inflation was 2.23 percent, 9.47 percent less if compared to the same period this year. In the same period of 2014, prices had only risen by 3.39 percent.

“Reduce the competitiveness”

Tanzania Port Authority (TPA) is finalising the construction of three modern vessels to ply Lake Nyasa. Kyela Port Manager, Mr Percival Salama, said the vessels would help opening up economic and business opportunities for the three regions of Mbeya, Njombe and Ruvuma as well as neighbouring countries of Mozambique and Zambia.He also noted that the move would also help in facilitating opening up of the ‘Mtwara Development Corridor’ to make Mtwara and Mbamba Bay ports to serve the market in Malawi and reduce the competitiveness of Mozambique ports to Dar es Salaam port.“This would make Mtwara port increase its cargo volume all the time during the cashew nut harvest season,” he said. Mr Salama was also optimistic that once the vessel starts operations, the TPA would reap the benefits of increased revenue.“Many customers have already shown readiness to use the water transport upon the completion of construction of these vessels,” he said. Out of the three ships, two would be for carrying goods and the remaining one for transporting passengers.It is expected that the construction of the cargo vessels would be completed in October while the remaining passenger vessel would be ready for use from February next year.The ship building project is undertaken by M/s Songoro Marine Transport Ltd and that the passenger vessel will have a capacity of carrying 200 people and a consignment of a maximum weight of 200 tons.In ensuring that the TPA improves port services in Lake Nyasa, Mr Salaam said TPA has completed repairing five boats to be used for improving transport in the area.

72.3Bln meticais revenue on 1st half

The execution of state budget for the first half of this year points to revenue of 72.3 billion meticais, 41 percent of forecasts. Total expenditure was 95.2 billion meticais, corresponding to 19.6 percent of the budget, comprising a 26.2 percent internal component and a 13.3 percent external, as influenced by the domestic and external economic situations.Speaking on Tuesday at the end of the 27th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers, government spokesman Mouzinho Saide said that the government estimates an annual growth rate of GDP at 4.5 percent and an annual average inflation rate of 10.12 percent.The Balance Report of the Economic and Social Plan (PES) 2016, Saide said, will be submitted to parliament for consideration soon.A week after Standard Bank revised its 2016 economic growth forecasts for Mozambique from 5.6 down to 2 per cent, the government states that during the first half, the national economy grew 4 percent.“An overall analysis of the indicators of the first half of the 2016 Social Economic Plan suggests that the goals will be achieved,” he said.Saide also announced that the government, through its disaster management agency, last weekend provided food items to families affected by strong winds in Maputo province.“The strong winds destroyed more than 270 houses,” he said, adding that the winds had aggravated food insecurity in a part of the country already suffering the effects of drought affecting almost the entire south and centre of Mozambique.Saide also announced the approval of a decree on the organisation of standards and operation of the Mozambique Insurance Supervision Institute, which will allow the issuing of licenses by qualified entities.

“Train of Salt and Sugar”

“Train of Salt and Sugar”, a film by Brazilian Licinio Azevedo who has lived in Maputo for forty years, premiered on Wednesday on the 300-square metre screen in Locarno’s Piazza Grande – an honour reserved only for the greatest productions.“Train of Salt and Sugar” is probably the first great African western. The feature film tells the story of a train and its passengers who embark on a dangerous journey during the Mozambican civil war.The director had the idea while reading the newspaper: “I found that in the north, there was a train where women used to travel 700 km to Malawi, all through the war,” he says. “They bought salt on the coast to exchange for sugar in Malawi. Then they returned [to Mozambique] and sold [the sugar]. With this, they supported their family. Bit it was a hellish journey.”Licinio Azevedo initially thought of making a documentary, but decided later on a novel. To make the film, the director sought the support of French, Portuguese, South African and Brazilian producers, as well as using prize money he won two years ago Through the Locarno Film Festival’s “Open Doors” programme.

The hardest part of making the film, according to the director, was shooting the locomotive and carriages on railway lines where other commercial and passenger trains were circulating.“The logistics and organisation was the most difficult, especially in the case of a war movie in a country where civil war was about to start,” Azevedo told DW Africa.According to the director, it was not easy to get permission from the government to shoot – the team was already on the ground when the authorities finally gave the green light. The Ministry of Defence, however, ended up supporting the production, “giving us a group of thirty or so soldiers to train the actors, work with us. For a country at war, just to fire a shot would be enough for all the people to flee across the border”.Although it revives a very specific period – the civil war in Mozambique – for Licinio Azevedo, “Train of Salt and Sugar” tells a story that could be adapted to other realities, and will interest the public around the world. “I think we have made a great film – a modern movie, a western, a war film – a story that could be located in Latin America, Mexico, India, China, wherever.”

London School of Make-Up

Make-up artist Helena Caesar is bringing the techniques and knowledge of the London School of Make-up to Mozambique in an intensive 7-day training from 5 to 11 September.The training, certified by one of the best makeup schools in London days and de4sigend to qualify participants to start a professional career, will have only ten places available by booking with helenacesarmakeup@gmail.com or on 84 990 2580 / +44 7479942629.Participants will get all the material required for training, including a kit and professional belt brushes, a notebook and audio-visual material. At the end of the course, they will have a professional portfolio and make-up artist certification to start a professional career in the field.Angolan Helena Caesar trained and works in London, building a career as a makeup artist, trainer and blogger. Her resume include work for photo shoots, fashion shows and international expos.In a video conversation between Helena and Mostyn Barard, Director of the London School of Make-up, Helena highlights the ability to choose good colours and be attentive to detail as among the qualities that a good make-up artist must have, and which are covered in detail in the training.The preparation of skin, eyebrows, blush, bronze, illuminator and lipstick application techniques are among the other points covered in the course.

About Helena Cesar

In 2010, Helena Cesar she took a professional makeup artist course with the London School of Make-up and went on to work with numerous photographers and artists in fashion shows, weddings and makeovers. Teaching and giving workshops is among her passions.“As an Angolan, I feel driven to share everything I’ve learned and my professional development so far. After learning from some of the best international makeup professionals and working on shows like the London Africa Fashion Week, I think it’s only fair that I share my knowledge with African women,” she says.

GEOLOGICAL MAPPING IN ZAMBEZIA AND NAMPULA

Mozambique is mobilising funds to implement a project to map geological resources in Zambezia and Nampula province. When funds are in place, an international public tender will be held to select a specialist company to carry out the mapping.The national director of geology and mines, Elias Daudi, told the daily newspaper “Noticias” that, despite the current financial difficulties, the ministry is continuing with its plans to draw up detailed geological maps at a scale of 1 to 50,000. He added that this will increase the government’s knowledge of the mineral resources available in the country.Daudi explained that the next stage in the mapping will follow on from a geological survey undertaken in the north of Zambezia province and the south of Nampula province. He stated, “an aerial survey of these areas has been completed and in the next phase we will be mapping at a scale of 1 to 50,000”.Daudi expected that the international tender will shortly be launched to choose the company that will carry out the work on the ground.He stressed the strategic importance of geological mapping but explained that, due to the size of the country, it was necessary to select certain areas because of to their known potential for mineral resources. He added that the high cost of mapping has resulted in only a small area being covered in detail – the only mapping carried out nationwide is to a scale of 1 to 250,000.In addition, Daudi revealed that about three quarters of the country has been covered by aerial geophysical surveys.Whilst Daudi was unwilling to disclose the cost of the mapping, he did state that the finance will be covered by the World Bank.