MOZAMBICAN AUTHORITIES CONCERNED BY RISE IN FAKE MARRIAGES

The Mozambican authorities in the central province of Manica have expressed their concern at a new trend of women entering into fake marriages with foreign nationals for money.According to the daily paper “Diario de Mocambique”, some women are reported to be demanding as little as 6,000 meticais (about 200 US dollars), for a marriage certificate.Most of the foreign nationals involved in this trade are illegal immigrants from central Africa, the Great Lakes region and Asia.Uncontested divorce occurs after the “husband” acquires either a Mozambican Identity Document or passport.A woman told the Lusa news agency that “my daughter has married three times (with a Pakistani and two Congolese), before filing for an uncontested divorce. She gained a number of assets, including a house and car”.These sham marriages are simple weddings with none of the traditional pomp and ceremony that usually surround “real weddings”. Those who attend the registry are the witnesses, bridesmaids and ushers who are usually members of the inner circle from the bride’s family.“The province is concerned at the number of foreigners with illegally acquired documents. Even the immigration services are complaining about the number of citizens who can’t even speak the Portuguese language but are holders of Mozambican citizenship, applying for passports”, lamented Firmino Hemilio, spokesperson of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Manica.Currently, four people in Manica are facing criminal charges in connection with the forgery of Mozambican documents and identity cards.“This year we pursued two cases of document forgery. One functionary from of the Provincial Directorate of Justice, working for the registry and notary services, was caught red-handed in possession of a number of personal record cards. Data from the personal record cards did not match with the registry”, explained Hemilio.The fraudsters often ask for a second copy of personal record cards in remote districts such as Sussundenga, Gondola, Machaze and Manica, or in the provincial capital, Chimoio.The trade in documents, such as Identity Document’s and personal record cards, opens the door for other documents and titles.Mozambican citizenship makes it possible to gain legal employment in the country, start a business or even to live legally in neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe and South Africa.