UAE, Mozambique ink MoUs on counterterrorism

Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, today received Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of Mozambique, along with his accompanying delegation at the Zabeel Palace in Dubai. The leaders discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation across various sectors in the best interests of the peoples of both countries.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid welcomed the President of Mozambique in the presence of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai; Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the UAE; and Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid underscored the UAE’s keenness to foster trade and commercial relations with Mozambique and other African nations. His Highness noted the strong bonds of friendship and cooperation that bind the two countries and their keenness to explore ways of expanding their partnership to promote mutual investments and enhance stability and prosperity.

leaders assessed opportunities to enhance bilateral cooperation in different sectors, especially economic fields, and reviewed steps to increase mutual trade and investment opportunities. They discussed ways to share knowledge and expertise in several areas, including trade, agriculture, and tourism. The meeting addressed various aspects of UAE-Mozambique ties and the opportunities available to expand the scope of common interests. The two leaders exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern.

President Nyusi expressed his pride in the strong relations between Mozambique and the UAE. He said he hoped to see even greater cooperation between the two countries in various vital fields.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and President Nyusi also witnessed the signing of several agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) covering various sectors. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Verónica Macamo, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Mozambique, signed an MoU on security and counterterrorism.

Reem Al Hashimy, the UAE’s Minister of State for International Cooperation, and Mozambique’s Verónica Macamo signed an MoU on military collaboration and an economic and technical collaboration agreement.

 

 

 

Opens branch in Afungi

Standard Bank recently opened a new branch in the town of Quitunda, Palma district, in Cabo Delgado province. Among several benefits, the new agency opened in partnership with the Mozambique LNG project, operated by TotalEnergies, as part of its “Pamoja Tunaweza” (Juntos Somos Capazes) initiative, which aims to support community development initiatives, and will contribute to meeting the specific needs of the population in the Afungi region while boosting development of the province in general.

 In addition to supporting the participation of local companies in the projects installed there, the new Standard Bank branch will significantly contribute to the ongoing reconstruction process and to the return of populations to their places of origin. The new facility will also contribute to the acceleration of the process of the local population joining banking institutions and to raising the levels of financial education and inclusion of the residents of Afungi and Quitunda, providing them with a safe place to store their savings. The new branch is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and ATMs and has several cashiers to attend to the public in a space which provides greater convenience and comfort to customers. The opening of the Quitunda branch is part of Standard Bank’s business strategy of being ever closer to its customers, serving them with rigor and excellence.

15 mln

More than 15 million Mozambicans will be able to use cooking gas instead of firewood and charcoal in their houses by 2030, Mozambique’s largest newspaper Noticias reported Wednesday, citing Moises Paulino, the National Director of Hydrocarbons and Fuels in the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy. This is part of the government’s vision and effort to preserve the environment and public health, the report said.

Mozambique has a population of just over 30 million people. It is estimated that currently only 3.8 percent of the population has access to cooking gas, said the report.

“The gas produced in Temane, in the southern province of Inhambane, or in the Rovuma Basin in northern Cabo Delgado, is not only intended for export, but also for the domestic market,” the paper quoted Paulino as saying.

According to the official, a campaign will be carried out to encourage the communities to use cooking gas in a gradual process. He said that in the city of Maputo, the country’s capital, there are neighborhoods where people no longer need to buy cooking gas from a gas station or service station as they already have piped gas in their homes.

UNGA

Prime Minister, Adriano Maleiane says it’s time for the world to adopt new funding models to fast track the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030. Maleiane made the challenge during his speech at the General debate of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly underway in New York under the theme ‘ A watershed moment: transformative solutions to interlocking challenges.’ He assured that Mozambique still views the SDGs 2030 as relevant to design collective solutions for the challenges facing the world. Therefore, according to Maleiane, the government shares the view that the SDGs should be not be scrapped because they are still valid. However, finance is still confined to domestic funds and each country is expected to mobilise its own to cover the expenses to meet the set targets.
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‘We are working to reach the targets, but facing major difficulties. Therefore, we propose a model that will incorporate multilateral financial institutions, such as those linked to the United Nations, to also provide funds for this agenda,’ he said.Speaking at a press conference, which marked the end of his participation in the event, Maleiane explained that this was one of the motivations for Mozambique’s participation. Another reason was to express Mozambique’s gratitude for the country’s election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

‘We achieved our independence years ago, but we had never been to this forum. One hundred and ninety-two countries out of a total of 193 voted in favour of Mozambique and that is very good for the country and for Mozambicans,’ he said.Naturally, Maleiane said, the Mozambican government reaffirmed its position that peace and sustainable development are sacred values. It was precisely for this purpose that the United Nations Organisation (UNO) was created, Maleiane said, stressing that this was also the content of the message of his speech delivered at the General debate. Asked about Mozambique’s position on the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Maleiane said that the Constitution of the Republic is very clear on the matter.

‘Our Constitution is very much for peace and dialogue and everything we are doing is in line with these principles and values, but also this institution where we are present was precisely designed to guarantee peace and stability,’ he stressed. Mozambique, Maleiane said, argues that it is necessary to give dialogue a chance rather than embark on violence. ‘We are not taking sides. We are doing what our constitution says to do. It is good for the country and for the interests of Mozambique. Maleiane took the opportunity to announce that he was the bearer of a message from the Mozambican President, Filipe Nyusi, addressed to the Secretary General, António Guterres, who played a very important role in consolidating peace and reconciliation in Mozambique and invite him to visit Mozambique.   ‘We believe that its important to invite him to witness the end of this first phase of demobilisation and reintegration of the residual force of Renamo, the largest opposition party in Mozambique.

 

Return of residents to Mocimboa da Praia

The massive return of residents to the coastal town of Mocímboa da Praia, in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, is putting under pressure health services, which are currently operating in a makeshift building. Health infrastructures were severely damaged by the terrorists and now, with the return of thousands of residents who had left the town, efforts are underway to restore public services, including health facilities. The clinical director Benjamin Ernesto says that Mocímboa da Praia Health Centre attends on average 150 people a day, a number that falls short of meeting the huge demand.

‘We attend cases that we can deal with. Those that we cannot deal with locally we refer them to Mueda Rural Hospital,’ said Ernesto, quoted this Monday (26) by Radio Mozambique. The Mozambican government estimates over 9,000 internally displaced residents from Mocímboa da Praia have already returned to their homes. Mocímboa da Praia was the district where armed groups carried out their first attack on 5 October 2017, and its main town was long described as the terrorists’ headquarters.

Now, security has been restored leading to an influx of families from resettlement centres spread across neighbouring provinces. After more than a year in the hands of terrorists, the town was looted, with virtually all public and private infrastructure destroyed, including public utilities such as electricity and water, telecommunications and hospitals.

A military offensive launched by government forces in 2021, with the support of Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community forces, allowed the government to retake control, and there are now under way several initiatives to rebuild infrastructure. According to official estimates there are currently over 850,000 internally displaced people in Cabo Delgado due to the conflict, which also killed another 3,000 triggering a humanitarian crisis.

156 of them expired

Of the approximately 900 unclaimed passports at the Provincial Directorate of Migration in Maputo, 156 have already expired. Also unclaimed are visas for extension of stay, plus work and visit visas not collected by applicants. The bustle of people applying for travel documents at the Migration Service in Maputo province is plain to see. Less visible is the pile of documents issued but unclaimed.

Bata, spokesperson for the Provincial Directorate of Migration Services (SENAMI) in Maputo, says that a considerable number of documents expire before even leaving the building.

“We have about 900 passports, some of which are from the previous platform (SEMLEX). Of those, 156 passports have already expired. A further 43 expired residence permit are also in our possession. This situation worries us, because we daily hear of citizens repatriated from neighbouring South Africa for lack of passports,” he explains.  Bata notes that the failure to collect these documents creates constraints on the functioning of migration services. “Therefore, we appeal to our fellow citizens, as soon as they return from their places of work, to go to the Provincial Directorate of Migration and collect their passports, which will allow them to spend their vacation well and continue their travels,” he says. An SMS alert system is used to remind citizens to collect their documents, when ready.

9.5 billion US dollars to improve water

Mozambican government is working to mobilize about 9.5 billion US dollars needed to improve supply and management of water and sanitation systems, especially in rural areas. This would allow Mozambique to meet the Sustainable Development Goal established by the United Nations by 2030 ‘to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.’Of this amount, 4.1 billion is to be invested in improving water supply and sanitation and the remaining 5.4 billion for management and maintenance of related infrastructure, announced Mozambican Prime-minister, Adriano Maleiane, on Friday.

“It is a huge sum of money”, said Maleiane speaking in New York at the high-level roundtable on water supply, water management and sanitation. “But I believe that using some financial institutions like the World Bank and other regional institutions we can get there, and I would like to mention some strategic partners like the Netherlands”. The Prime minister assured that the Mozambican government is doing its best to provide water to the population, particularly in rural areas.

“If we go to the countryside we will see people benefiting from water and also we have trained them to use water systems”, he said, stressing the need for maintenance to ensure better performance.

“We are doing our best and women today spend less time getting some water because we are taking water near to them”, said Maleiane. He also pointed out that the youth make up about 31 per cent of the active population in the working age. Therefore, any programme in Mozambique is youth oriented specially on gender issues. That’s the reason the government wants girls to be incorporated in the economic model to give them space and time and take water close to them.Hence, the government will continue to invest in that direction because that will make a difference in Mozambique. Considering the steps already taken, Maleiane assures that the country will be able to reach the goals set by the United Nations. Earlier this year, Mozambican Minister of Public Works, Carlos Mesquita, expressed government concerns in Maputo ceremonies to mark World Water Day, over the low coverage rate for access to drinking water across the country.

“Statistics show that 66 percent of the population do not have any source of safe water”, Mesquita said. “In the urban areas, clean water reaches 83 per cent of the population, but in the rural areas, the figure is 53 per cent”. Mesquita stressed the need to ensure the fulfilment of the established goals for water supply services, especially by improving the sustainable management of infrastructures. He also conveyed the government’s concern at the level of losses in the urban systems which are running, on average, at about 46 per cent”.

“This requires urgent actions to control and reduce these losses which affect the sustainability of the water supply systems. Besides Mozambique, also in attendance were the Prime-minister of the Netherlands, representatives from Finland, Sweden, Uganda, Egypt, Tajikistan, Iraq, Bangladesh and international organizations, especially the World Bank.

Central Committee

The new members of the Frelimo Central Committee, the most important body of the ruling party in the interval between congresses, are now known. This Monday, the approximately 1,500 provincial delegates elected the 79 members necessary to fill the body, out of a total of 100 candidates registered at the central level.The longest electoral process in recent years in Frelimo – the election took place at 10:00 a.m., but the results were only released after 10:00 p.m. – resulted in what was already projected behind the scenes: the consolidation of ‘Nyussism’.Of the results that ‘Carta’ had access to, in terms of women who were part of the previous Central Committee, the highlight goes to the departure of Lucília Hama, deputy of the Assembly of the Republic and former Governor of the City of Maputo. Hama, it is recalled, was a member of the Frelimo Political Commission between 2012 and 2017, but was rejected from the body in 2017.

Helena Música and Joaquina Siliya were also excluded. Graça Machel, a senior Frelimo member, did not apply to stay on. ‘Carta’ has learned that her withdrawal was intended to avoid possible humiliation, such as that of Eduardo Nihia, who was unable to get himself elected to that body in Nampula province.

The list of women staying on as members of the Central Committee therefore includes Verónica Macamo, Margarida Talapa, Carmelita Namashulua, Alcinda De Abreu, Luísa Diogo, Conceita Sortane, Nyeleti Mondlane, Esperança Bias, Marina Pachinuapa, Anchia Talapa, Emília Moiane, Ana Rita Sithole, Sónia Macuvele, Amélia Muendane, Lucinda Espirito Santo and Maria Fernanda Moçambique Tonela. Nineteen candidates competed for the 16 seats available.

From the list of women seeking to join the new Central Committee for the first time, the highlight goes to ministers in the government of Filipe Nyusi, namely Josefina Mpelo (Minister of Combatants), Ana Comoana (State Administration and Civil Service), Maria Helena Kida (Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs) and Eldevina Materula (Culture and Tourism).

Luísa Meque (President of INGD), Ana Canhemba (Administrator of Inhassoro district), Isabel Cumbane, Xarzarda Orá, Julita Juma, Bendita Lopes and Rosel Salomão Pedro were also approved. In this list, 13 candidates competed for 11 available seats. Maria de Fátima Pelembe, former Secretary General of the OMM, and Easter Themba failed to quality.

In the list of candidates of men staying on, there were few surprises, as only 31 competed for 30 vacancies. Only Chinguane Sebastião Marcos Mabote was rejected. Remaining in the Central Committee are Roque Silva, Alberto Chipande, Alcido Nguenha, Eduardo Abdula, Eduardo Mulémbwė, Raimundo Pachinuapa and Eneas Comiche. Also on the list are Alberto Chipande Júnior, Namoto Chipande, Aires Aly, Samora Machel Júnior, Sérgio Pantie, António Niquice, Celso Correia, Tomás Salomão, Marcelino Pita, Carvalho Muária, José Pacheco, Chakil Aboobacar, Jaime Basílio Monteiro, Bruno Morgado, Licínio Mauaie, Dominic Phiri, Salim Valá, Carlos Agostinho do Rosário, Carlos Mesquita, Agostinho Mondlane, Eusébio Lambo, Arlindo Chilundo, Raimundo Diomba and Francisco Cabo.

However, it was in the men’s renewal list that there was most controversy. Frelimo made seven vacancies available, with 13 candidates applying. Among the entries, emphasis goes to the return of Oswaldo Petersburgo (Secretary of State for Youth) – rejected at the previous Congress – and the entry, for the first time, of Adriano Maleiane (Prime Minister), Max Tonela (Minister of Economy and Finance) and N’Naite Chissano, son of Joaquim Chissano, former President of the Republic and member of Frelimo. Pedro Guiliche (a famous G15 analyst), Constantino Bacela (Minister in the Presidency for Civil House Affairs) and Rui Chong Saw (former Mayor of Nacala-Porto) were also elected.

Among those rejected are Joaquim Veríssimo (former Minister of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs), Mouzinho Saíde (former Vice-Minister of Health and current Director of the Maputo Central Hospital), Inocêncio Impissa (Deputy Minister of State Administration and Public Service), businessman Prakash Prehlad, Manuel Formiga (former President of the National Youth Council) and Virgílio Mateus.

The electoral results obtained by Carta indicate that, in the Central Committee’s list of renewal for the economic and social area, delegates rejected the candidacies of businessman Lineu Candieiro of the Lin Group (which includes the famous Lin Cleanings), and the sportswoman Ana Flávia de Azinheira, former Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports.

Eduardo Mondlane Júnior, businessman Mahomed Assif Osman and Ana Senda Coanai, CEO of IGEPE (Institute for the Management of State Equity) were elected in the economic and social sector.

Among the youth, emphasis goes to the entry, for the first time, of Jacinto Filipe Nyusi (son of the President of the Republic and Frelimo), Emília Chambal (President of the National Youth Council), Edma Braund, Jherson Fernandes, Baera Morreira, Francisco Nunes and Constantino André. Sale Mussa and Patrícia Lopes were excluded.

In the renewal list, at combatant level, male delegates elected included Rafael Rahomoja, João Américo Mpfumo and João Ferreira dos Santos. Among the women, Joisse Jock and Laura Agostinho Mavota. Maria Gundana, Victória Daniel and Miguel Mkaima succeeded, while André Massaite and Xavier Nelson were left out.

The 79 members of the Central Committee elected at the XII Frelimo Congress yesterday will join the members elected at the provincial conferences, the two honorary party presidents, the six honorary members, the 11 Provincial First Secretaries and the three Secretary-Generals of Organs social bodies of the party (the OJM, OMM and ACLLN).The Frelimo Central Committee will in future be composed of 250 members and 11 provincial substitutes. It remains to be defined how many substitutes will be elected at central level.

Drug

Official figures from the Central Office for the Prevention and Fight against Drugs (GCCPD) indicate that drug addiction in Mozambique rose about 14% between 2020 and 2021, with the provinces of Manica, Nampula, Sofala and Maputo seeing the most cases. The national model of rehabilitation for drug addicts may not be the most appropriate, warns mental health expert Júlio Macamo. Júlio tried cannabis sativa, aka ‘soruma’, at the age of 14, at the invitation of a friend. By the age of 16, he had already used more than two types of drugs. He stole items from his parents’ house to sell for money to buy drugs, he confesses.

“The evil lies in experimenting. I tried it, I liked the feeling and started to consume it. I met people who got into the world of crime, and I was about to get involved myself, because I hung out with friends, one of whom had his father’s gun, who was a police officer. Little by little, I was trying more things,” the interviewee says.

At a certain point in his life, Júlio realised that he was on a path that could lead to his death, and that was the start of a happy ending. With the help of relatives and friends, he managed to rehabilitate himself.

“One day, when I was drugged, I looked at myself in the mirror and thought: ‘I’m that uncle I always said I didn’t want to be’, because when we’re kids, we look at that uncle from the area, who drinks and creates trouble, and we don’t want to be like him. So I looked at myself and I saw myself as that drug-addict uncle. When I realised this, I started looking for help,” he explains. Júlio’s testimony is just one example of what happens all over the country, and GCCPD figures point to an increase in drug addiction country-wide.

“In 2020, we had 9,788 [addicts] and, in 2021, this number increased to 11,164, so we are seeing growth of around 14%,” says Orlando Alberto, head of the Department of Public Education at the Central Office for the Prevention and Combat of Drugs. According to Alberto, the provinces of Manica, Nampula, Sofala and Maputo lead the statistics table.

“Last year, the province of Manica had 2,713 cases, which represents 24% of the total. Nampula, with 2,416, corresponds to 21%, while Sofala had 2,084 and Maputo City had 2,050,” he details.The GCCPD records 2,050 cases for Maputo city, while the Health Directorate presented a different figure of around 3100.

“Last year, we had 3,057 cases in outpatient consultations, which means that there were around 3,000 people who approached the hospital,” says Maputo City Health Directorate representative Maria de Lurdes Sive. The health sector is not only concerned about the increase in drug addicts, but also about the number of those mentally ill as a result of drug use. In 2021, 9,000 were admitted to the Infulene Psychiatric Hospital, in Maputo.

“In our largest psychiatric hospital [Infulene], the main cause of hospitalisation is mental and behavioural disorders due to the consumption of toxic substances. In the 2021 report, we learned that about 9,000 people sought mental health services for issues related to mental disorders and substance use,” says Elisa Mfumo, head of the Department of Mental Health at the Ministry of Health. More up-to-date data from the GCPCD indicate that, in the first half of this year, more than 4,000 people with mental and behavioural problems caused by drug consumption were admitted to health service units.  Cannabis sativa and alcohol are the most-consumed substances, due to their easy availability. Adolescents and young students are among those who consume drugs most, often mixing them.

“It is with great sadness that I report that we have more teenagers and young people, aged 14-17, in the rehabilitation program. At the moment, there are 67,” says Anderson Jesus, representative of the REMAR rehabilitation centre. The country does not have a hospital specialising in the treatment of drug addiction. Patients are admitted to the Infulene Psychiatric Hospital and this overloads the health unit.

“In addition to treating two people with schizophrenia and mental retardation, we also have to assist drug addicts, as is their right,” says Infulene Psychiatric Hospital director Serena Chachuaio. “A drug addict often has disciplinary problems, which is why they often destroy sponges or clog faucets in order to protest against hospitalisation by their relatives.”

Psychologist Celma Ricardo is critical of the country’s rehabilitation model.

“We don’t have a one-stop centre, so that the individual doesn’t have to go from one hospital to the other. We don’t have a unit that supports an individual for complete rehabilitation, with the ability to provide psychological follow-up, with a psychiatrist providing assistance and activities to occupy them and help them stop using drugs,” she says. The Maputo City Health Directorate recognizes the problem and promises improvements.

“Together with the government, we are working towards opening a rehabilitation centre for these cases. It won’t happen from one day to the next, so until then we will continue to work with the Infulene Psychiatric Hospital,” Maria de Lurdes Sive explains. According to SERNIC, during the first six months of this year, close to 400 drug trafficking and consumption cases were registered, against about 300 in the same period in 2021. Narcotics valued at an estimated 50 million meticais were seized. In 2019, the United Nations cited Mozambique as a major corridor for large volumes of drugs.

 

 

Raises 4.2 million dollars

The London-based mining company Gemfields on Tuesday announced that it has raised 4.2 million US dollars from an auction of predominantly commercial-quality sapphire, corundum, and low-quality ruby held from 19 September to 23 September 2022. In total, 3.6 tonnes of material (18.1 million carats) were sold.The gems were mined in the northern Mozambican district of Montepuez by Montepuez Ruby Mining Limitada (MRM), which is 75 per cent owned by Gemfields and 25 per cent by Mwiriti Limitada.According to Adrian Banks, Gemfields’ Managing Director of Product & Sales, “the buoyant conditions prevailing in the coloured gemstone market made this an excellent time to sell several years of accumulated MRM commercial-quality inventory”.

added, “we thank and congratulate the government of Mozambique and our partners at Mwiriti – both of whom attended the auction – on what are very healthy results for material of this quality”.

Gemfields stressed that “the proceeds of this auction will be fully repatriated to MRM in Mozambique, with all royalties due to the government of the Republic of Mozambique being paid on the full sales prices achieved at the auction”.Montepuez Ruby Mining (MRM) holds a 25-year concession on an area of 340 square kilometres in Montepuez, in Cabo Delgado province. Since 2014, over 830 million dollars have been raised from the auction of rubies and other gems from the mine.

Finance terrorism want to recolonize

The President of the Republic says that the financiers of terrorism in Cabo Delgado have political interests which aim to destabilize and colonize Mozambique to plunder resources. Speaking in Maputo at the opening ceremony of the VII National Youth Conference yesterday, Filipe Nyusi encouraged young people not to accept being used for evil actions.President Nyusi used the youth event to present his revelations and send a message to people inside and outside the country. Addressing an audience of young people, Filipe Nyusi accused external entities and even nations of financing terrorist actions to target the government, create instability and plunder resources in Mozambique.

“In our country, we are experiencing terrorism created and financed by evil forces. If these people have weapons, the question is: where do these weapons come from?” Nyusi asked. He then argued that “they finance [terrorism] as part of this theory of disorder and political instrument. The country was moving at cruising speed; many projects were underway in Palma, at sea and on land. There were resettlements; fishermen from Palma began to earn more because there was already a market. They do this to solve their problem, causing suffering to the Mozambican populations. The objective is to perpetuate the suffering and poverty of Mozambicans, as they are not nationals, and to create conditions for the plunder of our resources”.

The President of the Republic further says that these external financiers want to recolonize the African continent in general, and Mozambique in particular. “It is a new form of colonialism. Fortunately, we hoisted the flag, we have our sovereignty, but they want to make money by creating disorder. They articulate with the aim of using youth to create instability. Unfortunately, some minds, not only of young people, are financed and used with the aim of recolonizing Africa and plundering Mozambique’s resources. They use money to manipulate the conscience of young people to join the disorder and perpetrate acts against their own homeland, against their own communities, but never against the nations of those who finance. And we wouldn’t want our young people to be paid to make trouble in another country,” Nyusi explained.

Such entities, adds Filipe Nyusi, operate within the country, trying to influence government decisions.

“We are not evading our responsibilities. Not infrequently, they appear to condemn the Defence and Security Forces when they act in defence of Mozambicans and all who reside in Mozambique. When it all started, they always complained that we weren’t looking for support, but we were still trying to understand the phenomenon. Let’s imagine it was an internal conflict, as we had in the past. Why should we turn to other countries to solve our problem? When the conclusion was reached that it was terrorism, we invited partners to help us and these same people again criticize our choices. The question we pose is: what is the profile of those who fight terrorism?”

Filipe Nyusi took the opportunity to praise the bravery of young people defending national sovereignty and fighting terrorism in the Northern Operational Theatre. “These young people are real, of all ages and genders. They join the experience of the elders to fight this evil. At the moment, actions to pursue terrorists are underway in the dense forests between the Messalo and Montepuez rivers. They are stampeding, but the forest is thick and it is not easily penetrated,” he said.

In another development, Filipe Nyusi acknowledged the difficulties the government faced in finding employment for all, but said this should not be used to sabotage actions. “Our government is fully aware of the challenges faced by Mozambican youths who live the reality of limited formal and informal employment opportunities. On the other hand, it evaluates with indignation the associated evils, such as crime, drug trafficking, excessive alcohol use and prostitution, among others.”

But these are not the only evils pointed out by Filipe Nyusi. As if in response to recent demonstrations, Nyusi recalled that vandalism does not solve problems, but slows down the country’s growth.

“We build a new road and someone comes along and burns tires and damages that same road. After that, cars can crash, cars can break down, and who benefits from that? Then we start spreading rumours. Challenges should not encourage our young people to think about engaging in illicit acts or participating in terrorist acts or other crimes tending to destroy their own country and their own future.” In speeches made this Monday at the opening of the 7th National Youth Conference, the leadership of the National Youth Council demanded more government support for youth initiatives, while representatives of the United Nations Fund for the Population expressed willingness to support the government and leverage the same.

 

 

Mozambique Fashion Week

Every year, Mozambique Fashion Week (MFW) seeks to expand, to leverage national production in the industry and offer its many followers a quality event with a variety of designers and models that add value to the event, to the fashion sector and to Mozambican arts and culture. MFW acts also as a platform for discovering, encouraging, training and promoting Mozambican fashion. We believe that part of this comes from giving openness and ease to young and small entrepreneurs to walk and take their small steps to conquer their careers and business success.According to the statement sent to Moz Entretenimento, the MFW team will be receiving applications for its 18th edition, where designers and models can showcase their talent and take their place in the fashion world.

 Enrolment for candidates in the areas of fashion, design and catwalk have been taking place on the event’s website since July 18. This is a different system from previous years, when enrolment took place in person. For this year’s edition, the production hopes to continue to attract fashion designers and models with talent and technical capacity to surpass the numbers obtained in past events. Last year alone, the team received more than 1,300 entries for models and 150 applications for designers, of which 60 models and 70 designers were selected for the big event and were able to showcase their talent and creativity. As always, MFW wants to encourage designers and new talents to think outside the box and present new, unique and competitive ideas that can inspire a totally different experience for the audience or final consumer, showing their full potential for the success of their brands.

In addition to filing the enrolment form available online, on the MFW website, designers must make sure that their sketches and mood boards are delivered to the Maputo offices of DDB Moçambique, the company organising the event, by the last day of registration, Thursday, 18 August. Applications must be sent taking into account the Mozambique Fashion Week category in which candidates intend to participate, eitehr ‘Young Designers’ or ‘Marcas'[‘Brands]’.

CNE has 6% of the money

The global cost of Mozambique’s electoral cycle for the years 2022 to 2025 is budgeted at just over 18.7 billion meticais, according to a National Elections Commission document seen by ‘O País’. Of that amount, the budget for 2022 is estimated at around 3.2 billion meticais. According to the CNE, around 1.2 billion meticais is currently available for the preparatory phase, which includes voter registration. This represents a shortfall of just over two billion meticais.

 “We still lack two thirds of the amount needed for preparatory activities,” the CNE document reads. For the 2023 financial year, the budget foreseen by the CNE is around 6.7 billion meticais, with more than 8.7 billion meticais needed for 2024-2025.

“We are working with the Government to find a way to address this situation, including the chronic problem of the lack of adequate facilities for the National Elections Commission at central level,” the CNE report adds.

According to the same source, the costs of the electoral process “will be exacerbated by the need to observe health protocols in preparations, voter registration and voting [itself]. We are interacting with the Ministry of Health to see how we can carry out all our activities without major risk to voters and everyone involved in the process”. Voter registration (from scratch) for the country’s sixth municipal elections will take place from 20 February to 5 April, 2023, under a decree recently approved by the Council of Ministers. Municipal elections are scheduled for the 11th of October next year, and the general and district elections for 2024. Mozambique’s last municipal elections, which happen at five-year intervals, took place in 53 municipalities on October 10th, 2018.

 

 

Business

The Commerce, Industry and Services Association (ACIS) of Mozambique on Wednesday advocated changes in the legislation on hiring foreign labour to make the regime more flexible, and that Mozambique’s diplomatic missions enjoy more autonomy in granting work visas.

“The legislation and regulations inherent to the hiring and legalisation of workers of foreign nationality must be changed, so that they are adapted to current needs,” ACIS says in the recommendations following from a survey it carried out and which was released yesterday.The other recommendation is to grant independence to diplomatic and consular missions in approving or refusing visa applications.ACIS also asks that additional requirements demanded of foreign workers by Mozambican public administration officials be regulated and standardised.The authorities should also standardise the procedures to be followed by diplomatic missions in processing visa applications.

“The public administration must conform its computer system with the legal formalities inherent to each procedure,” the document reads.ACIS understands that the Mozambican state should be held accountable for “damage incurred due to the non-observance of the law” in the granting of visas, identification documents and residence permits for foreigners. The investigation found there were risks of corruption in the granting of visas and the process of hiring foreign labour, including bureaucratic dispersion, procedural requirements not provided for by law and lack of standardisation of the requirements applied by diplomatic and consular missions.

benefit from US package of humanitarian assistance

The United States government has just announced a financial package of more than 127 million dollars for humanitarian assistance to Africa, including Mozambique. “This assistance will provide vital support to refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, stateless and persecuted people across Africa, including those affected by crises in Burkina Faso, Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Niger, and other new and protracted displacement situations”, said a statement from the US State Department. The announcement of the support was made last Friday in Ghana by the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield. In addition to emergency needs, according to the statement, the aid will also support durable solutions for former refugees who wish to return to their home countries.

“This assistance will enable our humanitarian partners to help many of the more than seven million refugees and asylum seekers currently housed in Africa, as well as the more than 25 million internally displaced people”, it says.These funds, adds the document, will provide life-saving and life-sustaining support to forcibly displaced populations, including those affected by the growing global food crisis and shortages and their host communities across Africa.

“We call on other donors to provide additional support to meet the growing humanitarian needs on the continent”, it stresses.Thomas-Greenfield also warned African countries against breaking the sanctions imposed on Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine, and denied that the sanctions themselves are having an effect on food security.“Some folks have come here and told you that Western sanctions are to blame for rising food prices”, she said. “The fact is that our sanctions are targeted at Putin and his supporters, not agriculture and food, which are specifically carved out of the sanctions. Let me say that again since this is such a regular piece of disinformation: America’s sanctions do not, let me repeat, do not apply to food and fertilizer exports. Period”. She pointed out that “Russia itself is taking steps that limit exports to the world. For example, Moscow has imposed export quotas on nitrogen and complex fertilizers that will be in place until at least the end of the year. A lack of fertilizer today bakes in a food security crisis for tomorrow. Russia also imposed extra duties on its own farmers’ grain exports, even though Russia had a bumper crop this year”. Speaking in Kampala last Thursday, Thomas-Greenfield warned that, where sanctions are in place (on Russian oil, for example), countries should not consider violating them.

“If a country decides to engage with Russia where there are sanctions, then they are breaking those sanctions; they’re breaking our sanctions and in some cases they’re breaking UN sanctions with other countries, and we caution countries not to break those sanctions because then, if they do, they stand the chance of having actions taken against them for breaking those sanctions”, she said.

Could this affect Mozambique? 

Last week, the Russian ambassador to Maputo, Alexander Surikov, proposed the sale of cheap Russian fuel to Mozambique – but he stipulated that any purchase would have to be in the Russian currency, roubles. The Bank of Mozambique does not have large amounts of roubles available for foreign trade transaction, To pay for the fuel in roubles would mean selling other currencies to the Russian central bank in order to obtain roubles. The Bank of Mozambique would have to consider whether it is really worth surrendering some of its reserves in dollars or euros in order to acquire roubles. Asked about the Russian “offer”, the Mozambican Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Carlos Zacarias, was cautious. “I’m sure we shall study the viability of this offer”, he told reporters. The original idea to import Russian fuel came from the Confederation of Mozambican Business Associations (CTA). The CTA clearly did not consult any of the main players in the fuel business. The independent newssheet “Carta de Mocambique” points out that the main fuel distributers (such as the French TotalEnergies or the Portuguese Galp) have no intention of violating the sanctions against Russia. Fuel traders (such as Vittol or Trafigura) are branches of western multinationals, and will also steer clear of taking any measure that could be read as violating the sanctions.

 

 

Measures to stimulate economy

Mozambican president on Tuesday announced 20 measures to stimulate the economy, including a 22% reduction in the rate of corporate income tax (IRPC) and a 1% reduction in value added tax (VAT). The 20 measures are part of the Stimulus Package for the Acceleration of the Economy [PAE], which Filipe Nyusi disclosed in an address to the nation, aimed at responding to the needs of growth of the country, the negative impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, of the armed violence in Cabo Delgado province, northern Mozambique, and of the natural disasters.The measures announced lower the IRPC from 32 percent to 10 percent in agriculture, aquaculture and public transport, and VAT from 17 percent to 16 percent in agriculture and renewable energy.

The Mozambican head of state also pointed to the introduction of tax incentives for new investments over the next three years, but did not give the rates of these incentives.In the package announced, the share of revenues from natural resources transferred to the provinces where they are extracted will rise from 2.5 percent to 10 percent and a US$250 million (244.4 million euros) loan guarantee fund will be created so that the banks can provide credit to the economy at more accessible interest rates. The SAP introduces mandatory blending of imported fuels with biofuels, “aiming to generate more jobs and induce more private investment in the value chain of agricultural production.”

Filipe Nyusi, who is also head of government, also announced a general review of entry visas to the country, with exemption for citizens of countries with low immigration risk and granting of investment visas with longer periods to foreign citizens holding investments in Mozambique.In the same framework, the conversion of simple short-term tourism visas into mixed tourism and business visas is foreseen.

“To facilitate the acquisition of visas, we will introduce electronic visas for citizens of countries not covered  the visa waiver,” Nyusi stressed.

The range of measures also provides for adjusting labour and investment laws with a view to making them more attractive to foreign investment, creating stable and quality jobs, transferring skills and building the capacity of Mozambican workers.The package also calls for simplification of administrative processes, reforms in the justice administration system, as well as the creation and implementation of the sovereign wealth fund. Filipe Nyusi also highlighted the need for reform of the state’s internal audit subsystem, efficiency of public administration and strengthening the system of supervision of social security funds. The Mozambican head of state said that the measures he announced today had been drawn up in conjunction with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and would have an impact in the short, medium and long term.

 

Gas from Mozambique is among the alternatives for Europe

The outgoing European Union ambassador to Mozambique said on Saturday that natural gas from Cabo Delgado was among the alternatives in Europe’s plan to diversify energy sources in the face of the constraints caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “Mozambique gas, with the presence of large European multinational companies, now has an even more important and strategic value,” Sánchez-Benedito Gaspar said in an interview with Lusa in Maputo.

According to the diplomat, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Europe came to the conclusion that “it cannot trust its old partner [Russia, among the largest gas exporters in the world], which is authoritarian and uses gas as an instrument of war,” and is currently making efforts to secure alternative sources.

“We have adopted a new strategy in Europe, called ‘RePower EU’, which has several elements […] With regard to gas, which is considered a transitional energy, we are looking for alternative suppliers […] Mozambique is among the alternatives ,” Ambassador Sánchez-Benedito Gaspar stressed. Although the gas from the three projects approved so far is pre-sold, Mozambique has proven reserves of more than 180 trillion cubic feet, according to the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy. Despite promising prospects, the armed insurgency that began in 2017 in Cabo Delgado province is a threat, but the entry of foreign troops to support Mozambican forces in the middle of last year has improved the security situation, recovering important positions such as the village of Mocímboa da Praia.

“There have been great advances on the ground. The insurgency no longer has this ability to permanently control key territories,” Sánchez-Benedito Gaspar noted.

Since the beginning of June, new attacks have been launched in the south of the province, targeting points in Ancuabe district, with incursions also sowing unrest in Metuge, Mecúfi and Chiure districts nearby. It is suspected that the actions in Ancuabe district are the work of rebels fleeing the military offensive that has been ongoing since July 2021, with international support.For the outgoing EU ambassador, despite the advances, the terrorist threat will continue for some time in northern Mozambique. “I think that unfortunately, the threat will continue in a localised manner. Everything indicates that some of these [rebel] forces are mixed with the population, and also that terrorists from other places are arriving,” Sánchez-Benedito Gaspar said. The Spanish diplomat ends his mission in Mozambique at the end of July and will be replaced by the Italian ambassador Antonino Maggiore.

Cabo Delgado province, in northern Mozambique, is rich in natural gas, but has been terrorized since 2017 by armed rebels, with some attacks claimed by the Islamic State extremist group.According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), about 784,000 persons have been internally displaced by the conflict, which has killed about 4,000, according to the ACLED conflict registry project. Since July 2021, an offensive by government troops, with the support of Rwandan and later Southern African Development Community (SADC) troops, has recovered a number of areas from rebel control, but their flight has led to new attacks in districts through which they have passed or where they have taken up temporary refuge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mozambique and South Africa

The governments of Mozambique and South Africa are accelerating negotiations on the speedy implementation of projects to increase electricity production and fill the neighbouring country’s energy deficit. “There is interest in the alignment between the governments of Mozambique and South Africa so that we can swiftly implement projects that lead to the production of more electricity,” Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Carlos Zacarias told journalists in Inhambane during a recent visit to monitor implementation of oil and gas projects there. One way to increase supply is the projected Mphanda Nkuwa hydroelectric project, which is expected to produce 1,500 Megawatts and associated energy transport infrastructure.

At an estimated cost of US$4.5 billion, the project includes the development of a dam, a power plant capable of producing up to 1500 Megawatts and a 1,300-kilometre high-voltage power transmission line from Tete province to Maputo. Completion of the project is scheduled for 2031. The minister said that the combined-cycle power plant project using gas, the construction of a cooking gas factory facilities, and the power transmission line between Temane and Maputo would also help supply South Africa. 

The Temane Thermal Power Plant project follows a Production Sharing Contract (PSA) involving the Government of Mozambique, the National Hydrocarbon Company (ENH) and the South African multinational SASOL, estimated at around US$760 million. It foresees the production of 4,000 barrels of light oil per day, 23 million gigajoules of natural gas for energy generation per year, and the production of 30,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG/cooking gas).

The natural gas to make the Temane Thermal Power Plant Project (CTT) viable will be supplied by ENH and SASOL, named as co-sellers of the product in a contract signed with Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM) in May, 2021. This plan will guarantee the generation of 450 Megawatts of electricity and results from a public-private partnership formed and led by Globeleq, EDM and SASOL, with a concession valid for 25 years. At the end of the contract, the asset will be transferred to the Mozambican state. The US$652.3 million Central Termica de Temane will produce electricity in a combined cycle generation model based on natural gas which will be supplied to EDM for distribution in the national market. Any surplus will be exported to the region.