UCLG COUNTRY PROFILES Republic of Mozambique (República de Moçambique) Capital: Maputo Inhabitants: 21.397.000 (2007) Area: 801.590 km² 1. Introduction Nations. With an area of 801 590 km, Mozambique is peopled of 19 790 millions inhabits. The following table is indicated the general consideration about Mozambique. Mozambique has a multi-tier system of local government: province, district, administrative post, and locality, but the Mozambique, officially the Republic of autonomy of such sub national structures Mozambique, is a country in south-eastern was constrained by excessive centralisation Africa bordering to the Indian Ocean in the of decision-making making until the east, Tanzania in the north, Malawi and amendment of the 1990 Constitution (by Zambia in the northwest, Zimbabwe in the Law nº. 9/96) which established the Local west and Swaziland and South Africa in the Power (o poder local), under the principle southwest. It is a member of the of implementing decentralisation. The Community of Portuguese Language principle of Local Power and the Countries and the Commonwealth of commitment to decentralisation is highlighted in the 2005 new Constitution. Table 1: General Indicators Human Development Human Development Index 0,354 Total GDP (millions $US) 23 696 GDP/per capita (units of $ US) 1247 Annual Growth 7,8 Life Expectancy 41,9 Literacy (%) Men 62,3 Women 31,4 Access Internet/1000 inh.) 2,77 Communalized Population Average Communal area Urban Population 35,6 Political system Presidential Regime Unitarian UNITED CITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS COUNTY PROFILE: MOZAMBIQUE Decentralisation has been the consequence of a long civil war. The establishment of 3. Institutions and local Democracy the new politics at local level has permitted a large participation of all factions enrolling Mozambique is a multi-party democracy in the conflict in the administration of the under the 1990 constitution. Then local country. elections are plural. In the aftermath of the 1998 local elections, the government resolved to make more accommodations to 2. Territorial structure the opposition's procedural concerns for the second round of multiparty national All of Mozambique outside the capital is elections in 1999. Working through the organized into 10 provinces, subdivided National Assembly, the electoral law was into 112 districts, 12 municipalities, and rewritten and passed by consensus in 894 localities; the capital city of Maputo is December 1998. Financed largely by considered an eleventh province. Each international donors, a very successful provincial government is presided over by voter registration was conducted from July a governor, who is the representative of to September 1999, providing voter the president of the republic and is registration cards to 85% of the potential responsible to FRELIMO and the national electorate (more than 7 million voter. The government for his activities. Each second local elections, involving 33 province also has a provincial assembly, municipalities with some 2.4 million which legislates on matters exclusively registered voters, took place in November bearing on that province. District, 2003. This was the first time that municipal, and local assemblies were FRELIMO, RENAMO-UE, and independent established in 1977; local elections were parties competed without significant held in that year and in 1986. Some boycotts. The 24% turnout was well above 20,230 deputies for 894 local assemblies the 15% turnout in the first municipal were elected by adult suffrage at age 18 elections. FRELIMO won 28 mayoral from candidates chosen by local units of positions and the majority in 29 municipal FRELIMO or, in their absence, by other assemblies, while RENAMO won 5 mayoral local groups. Deputies of the provincial, positions and the majority in 4 municipal district, and municipal assemblies were assemblies. The voting was conducted in elected by the local bodies. an orderly fashion without violent incidents. However, the period immediately after the elections was marked by Table 2: Administrative and territorial organization Territorial Division Name. No. Local Constituency Delib. Executive Decent Organ / Govt. Organ Organ Supervision Province 10 No Yes District 128 No Yes Administrat. 394 No Yes post Locality 1042 No Yes Municipal Assembly Urban 33 Yes No Municipal Municip. Council/ President of MC II UNITED CITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS COUNTY PROFILE: MOZAMBIQUE objections about voter and candidate and health, which do not directly contribute registration and vote tabulation, as well as to municipal management in the general calls for greater transparency. The sense. Under the ongoing policies of democratic system is uniform across the decentralisation, municipal authorities were municipalities. There is universal adult granted powers to contract staff. However, suffrage at age 18 since the Independence insufficient funds have unable them to Day, 25 June 1975. exercise these powers. As a result, municipal management tends to lag behind Since the 90’s, Mozambique has held two because municipal councils are generally municipal elections: the first in 1998 when staffed by individuals with few formal and Frelimo (the ruling party) won all 33 technical qualifications. The traditional municipalities electing. authorities are playing a part of role as institution. The executive body is bicephalous. The municipal assembly has to makes at least What is the role of traditional authorities? five ordinary sessions. The executive is working with some agents. However, there The new land law requires that the is a lack of qualified local government government (probably next year) bring in a agents. In Mozambique central government new law which will have to deal with retains a major role in local development "traditional authorities" and land. and management through its continuing functional responsibilities, and through its The very terms are debated, because legal powers over the operation of local "tradition" and "custom" have changed authorities. In fact, all municipal councils radically in this century under the influence remain heavily dependent upon central of both colonialism and Frelimo. It is clear government for resources of legal that in many rural parts of the country, authority, finance and personnel. Having communities do have people they consider embarked on a centralisation of to be "traditional leaders" and to whom administration or the so-called unified they defer for certain kinds of advice and personnel system in a situation of shortage decisions. The titles these leaders go by, of qualified human resources, it is quite and their precise status in society, varies understandable that the central very widely across Mozambique. And it is government apparatus monopolised the equally clear that in cities, among young technical, policy, and managerial expertise, people, and in some rural areas such with the result that it had more capacity leaders have no authority. than the local authorities the provincial and districts had in turn more capacity than the Similarly, so-called customary law, even if municipalities. rapidly changing to reflect modern society, is still accepted in many rural areas, and The average level of education of the vast the decisions of traditional leaders are majority of personnel working in the important in settling local disputes. They municipal councils is little more than play a key role particularly with respect to primary education, with a few having inheritance and land allocation in many nearly completed secondary education. rural areas. Similarly, so-called customary Maputo City, Matola, Beira and Nampula law, even if rapidly changing to reflect are the few cases of a municipal council modern society, is still accepted in many having a few employees with university rural areas, and the decisions of traditional degrees but the majority of these people leaders are important in settling local are employed in sectors such as education disputes. They play a key role particularly III UNITED CITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS COUNTY PROFILE: MOZAMBIQUE with respect to inheritance and land ANAM has been promoting actions of allocation in many rural areas. technical assistance to all municipal municipalities as well as helping There is a lack of qualified local municipalities in their internal organisation government agents .the government and functioning, and contracting capacity manage itself to solve the problem. in service delivery and mobilisation of local However, the government used ton retain resources. for him the qualified agents. In Mozambique central government retains a ANAM structure comprises: major role in local development and - The Congress, chaired by the president management through its continuing of municipal council of Nampula, with the functional responsibilities, and through its president of municipal assembly of legal powers over the operation of local Chimoio and the president of the authorities. municipal council of Beira, being the 1st and 2nd vice-presidents, respectively. The president of the municipal council of Xai- 4. The relations between central Xai, is the 1st secretary, and the government and local government president of the municipal assembly of Pemba, the 2nd secretary.; The central government is doing a - The Executive Body, chaired by the regulator local government control. president of the municipal council of Maputo City, and have the president of In 2004 all 33 municipalities decided to the municipal council of Matola, as 1st create the National