Mozambique Weekly Report Is Currently Being Distributed to Over 30 Embassies, 45 Non-Governmental Organisations and 677 Businesses and Individuals in Mozambique

WEEKLY MEDIA REVIEW: 22 JANUARY TO 29 JANUARY 2016

www.rhula.net

Managing Editor: Nigel Morgan

Mozambique’s LNG projects are located in a remote area and could be a target for attackers (see page 45 for more).

Rhula Intelligent Solutions is a Private Risk Management Company servicing multinational companies, non-governmental organisations and private clients operating in Mozambique. The Rhula Mozambique Weekly Report is currently being distributed to over 30 embassies, 45 non-governmental organisations and 677 businesses and individuals in Mozambique. For additional information or services please contact:

Joe van der Walt David Barske Operations Director Operational Coordinator

Mobile (SA): +27 79 516 8710 Mobile (SA): +27 76 691 8934 Mobile (Moz): +258 826 780 038 Mobile (Moz): +258 84 689 5140 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Disclaimer:

The information contained in this report is intended to provide general information on a particular subject or subjects. While all reasonable steps are taken to ensure the accuracy and the integrity of information and date transmitted electronically and to preserve the confidentiality thereof, no liability or responsibility whatsoever is accepted by us should information or date for whatever reason or cause be corrupted or fail to reach its intended destination. It is not an exhaustive document on such subject(s), nor does it create a business or professional services relationship. The information contained herein is not intended to constitute professional advice or services. The material discussed is meant to provide general information, and should not be acted on without obtaining professional advice appropriately tailored to your individual needs. Your use of this document and the information it contains is at your own risk

OBJECTIVE KEY PERSONS Offering seamless solutions for asset protection Dr. Leonardo Simão - Executive Chairman in SADC political and security environment. Executive director of the Joaquim Chissano Foundation, Chairman of United Bank of Africa VISION and Member of the SADC Mediation Team for Providing a network of political and security risk Madagascar, Leonardo Simão served as Minister advisers with first-hand knowledge of of Health from 1988 to 1994 and Minister of Mozambique and neighbouring nations in the Foreign Cooperation from 1994 to 2005. SADC. Graduated in Medicine, Specialist in Public Health. He is a founding member of the Medical SCOPE OF SERVICES Association of Mozambique and member of the Country Risk Management Mozambique Medical Council.  Country Risk Assessment Nuno Tomas - Director  Market Entry A career diplomat, Nuno Tomas is Senior  Due Diligence Adviser to former President of Mozambique,  Research & Investigations Joaquim Chissano since 2005. He has been  Cultural Nuances and Understanding involved in special political missions across  Health, Safety & Environmental Africa focussed on Conflict Resolution, Management Sustainable Development, Accountability and  Physical Site Assessment Good Governance. Compliance  Sanctions (US, EU, UK, Asia) Nigel Morgan - Director  Anti-Money Laundering (AML) For more than two decades, Nigel Morgan has  Anti-Bribery / Corruption (FCPA, BBA, advised multinational companies, financial OECD) institutions and private clients on political and  Litigation Support security risk related to foreign direct investment  Know your Client / Source of Funds (KyC / in Africa. He served in the Irish Guards and at SoF) the Centre for Policy Studies in London during Specialised Security Services the premiership of Margaret Thatcher.  Corporate Security Planning  Crisis Management Joe van der Walt - Director  Emergency Evacuation Former South African military officer, who has  Executive Protection specialised in private-sector security in Africa  Kidnap and Ransom and the Middle East, with particular expertise in the oil, gas and mining sectors and working OPERATING AREA: experience in Angola, DRC, Liberia, Zambia, The SADC Somalia, Iraq, to name a few.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ECONOMY & BUSINESS ...... 8 GRAPH 1: MOZAMBIQUE CURRENCY EVALUATION ...... 8 Turkish delegation visit Maputo ...... 9 Metical: world’s best-performing currency may be set for pullback ...... 9 President Nyusi dismisses deputy central bank governor ...... 10 Central bank’s advisory board meeting commences in Tete ...... 10 ‘Added challenges’ for central bank in coming year ...... 10 Restrictions on bank card use remain in force ...... 12 Mozambique records irregular Q3 2015 industrial production ...... 13 Important issues for external loans in Mozambique ...... 13 Mozambican Tax authority to boost turnover with VAT raffle ...... 15 Minister obliges Rogerio Manuel to return US$7 million ...... 16 India to increase oil imports from Africa, cut dependence on Middle East ...... 17 Indonesia to increase investment in Mozambique ...... 19 Scottish Secretary’s oil and gas trip to Mozambique: Aberdeen-Pemba MoU on the cards ...... 19 Talks with fifth oil round winners at least a month away – INP ...... 20 Mozambique says final gas decisions to be made this year ...... 21 ENI names new Mozambique country head ...... 21 Addendum: legal, illegal Mozambique rubies and legal Angola diamonds in the spotlight ...... 22 AfDB presents New Deal on Energy for Africa and the Transformative Partnership on Energy in Davos ...... 23 Ncondezi Power may need to reapply for environmental approval ...... 24 EdM shifts Ressano Garcia power infrastructure to Matola ...... 25 New Mozambique dam could feature 40 MW hydropower PPP ...... 26 Kariba hydropower output drops to 25% of capacity ...... 27 Mozambique resumes traffic on Sena railway line ...... 27

Nacala port traffic down 16% in 2015...... 28 Qatar Airways to introduce direct Maputo-Doha flights ...... 28 Maputo Ring Road: new man at the wheel ...... 29 Mozambique to upgrade Ponta do Ouro border with Customs post ...... 29 BRT project: more than 300 families to be resettled ...... 30 Residents require urgent replacement of the Nacala-Porto Bridge ...... 30 Estradas do Zambeze says 50 people may lose their jobs ...... 30 World Bank finances irrigation projects in Mozambique ...... 31 The Centre for Public Integrity will present the final report of the BICA ...... 31

POLITICS ...... 31 United States expresses "deep concern" over attack on Renamo secretary-general 31 Attack on Renamo general secretary condemned ...... 32 Ivone Soares calls for the resignation of the Interior Minister ...... 32 Renamo leader denies foreign support ...... 33 Morrumbala government wants to negotiate with Renamo ...... 34 President Nyusi declares “complete willingness” to work with Marcelo ...... 34 Mozambique relaunches bilateral co-operation with the Republic of Sudan ...... 35 Minister Wang Yi to visit Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique and Namibia ...... 36 Tony Blair puts advisers in President’s office ...... 36 Eventful year beckons for southern Africa ...... 37 President Nyusi joins 54 African heads of state at AU Summit in Ethiopia ...... 41 Third Ordinary Session scheduled for 17 February ...... 42 Mozambique must give effect to Law on asset declaration for public officials ...... 42 Frelimo Central Committee to undertake reshuffle ...... 43 Mozambique makes little progress in the fight against corruption – Transparency International ...... 44 Muslims march for peace in Mozambique ...... 45

SECURITY ...... 45 Mozambique LNG in the sights of global security firms...... 45

Dhlakama insists he will seize power in March ...... 47 Mozambique government “will respond in kind” if Renamo continues attacks ...... 48 Fearful Mozambicans flee as old foes clash: what the refugees in Malawi told Reuters ...... 49 Government dispatches delegation to Malawi to assess refugees ...... 51 PRM promise commission of inquiry as Renamo evacuates wounded Secretary- General to South Africa ...... 52 Key witness to his attempted murder: PRM wants to speak to Bissopo “as soon as possible” ...... 53 Khálau says Dhlakama’s video conferences create instability and that organised crime is behind Bissopo’s shooting ...... 54 CPLP “worries” about Mozambique, holds Renamo responsible for instability ...... 54 Four suspected Renamo members arrested in Nampula ...... 55 9,000 pupils deprived of education in Morrumbala ...... 55 Police gather for meeting on cross-border organised crime ...... 56

CRIME ...... 57 MAP 1: KIDNAPPING INCIDENTS IN CENTRAL MAPUTO 2014 – 2016 ...... 57 GRAPH 2: REPORTED KIDNAPPINGS PER YEAR ...... 57 GRAPH 3: TIME OF KIDNAPPINGS 2014 - 2016 ...... 58 GRAPH 4: KIDNAPPINGS PER GENDER / AGE-GROUP 2014 - 2016 ...... 58 Albinos in Tete call for protection ...... 59 PRM abort attempted abduction in Sofala ...... 59 PRM identify gunmen involved in Michael Tatakas shooting ...... 59 Fake sneakers worth over ZAR23 million seized ...... 60 Customs seize 589 tons of raw cashew in Nacala ...... 60 Two minors raped in Maputo ...... 61 Police justify the use of live ammunition...... 61 Woman on the run after murdering husband in Nampula...... 62 Opinion on lynching divides the population and the PRM ...... 62 Unknown male shot and killed after car chase in Maputo ...... 63

Corpse discovered in Nampula ...... 63 Two robbers narrowly escape lynching in Maputo ...... 64 Man lynched in Tete for “preventing rainfall” ...... 64 19-year-old arrested for neonaticide ...... 64 Labour inspectors detained for extortion ...... 65 Mozambican recruitment company launches anti-corruption campaign ...... 65

WILDLIFE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ...... 66 Time running out for South African government on rhino horn trade ...... 66 Ban on plastic bags comes into force next Friday ...... 67

OTHER ...... 68 Deputy Health Minister visits Maputo slaughterhouse ...... 68 Mozambique raises LGBT Rights ...... 69 Parliamentary commission to monitor natural disasters ...... 70 Rain forecast for this week will not end the drought ...... 71 Drought severely damages agriculture...... 71 Dam to minimise effects of drought in Magude ...... 72 2,000 families at risk of food insecurity in Boane ...... 73 10 dead in storms in Cabo Delgado ...... 73 Households abandon resettlement area ...... 74 Sofala health authorities confirm increase in diarrhoea cases ...... 74 Mozambique braces for cholera outbreak ...... 74 There is an informal market for blood in Nampula ...... 75

BUSINESS INDEX

Aggreko ...... 26 Anadarko ...... 21, 45, 50 Anadarko Petroleum Corporation ...... 21 Arkhe Risk Solutions ...... 45 Besmindo Pemba Semesta ...... 19 Buzi Hydrocarbons Pty Ltd ...... 19

CFM ...... 27 CONTACT ...... 65 Cotur Tours ...... 28 CR Aviation ...... 16, 17 Delonex...... 20 EdM ...... 25, 26 Electricidade de Moçambique, EdM ...... 25 Empreesa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos, ENH...... 21 ENH ...... 21 ENI ...... 20, 21, 45, 50 Eskom ...... 26 Estradas do Zambeze ...... 30 Executive Logistics ...... 45 ExxonMobil ...... 20 Gemfields ...... 22 ICVL ...... 25 Maputo-Sul ...... 29 Mara Sokoni ...... 23 Montepuez Ruby Mining Limitada ...... 22 Mwiriti Limitada ...... 22 Nampower ...... 26 Ncondezi Energy ...... 24, 25 NKC African Economics ...... 9 Olive Group ...... 45 Portos do Norte ...... 28 Portos e Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique, CFM...... 27 Qatar Airways ...... 28 Rio Tinto ...... 50 Sasol ...... 20, 46 Shanghai Electric Power, SEP ...... 24 Soeiro Comercial ...... 69 Vale ...... 25, 27, 28, 50 Zesco Ltd ...... 27

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Mozambique Exchange Rate and Fuel Prices: 29 January 2016

Mozambique Metical (MZN) Exchange Rate Mozambique Fuel Prices Currency Buy Sell Fuel Type Price Per Litre Euro (EUR) 48.31 49.29 Petrol 47,52MT U.S. Dollar (USD) 44,40 45,30 Diesel 36,81MT

S.A. Rand (ZAR) 2,70 2,75 Prices only valid for Maputo, Beira and Nacala

GRAPH 1: MOZAMBIQUE CURRENCY EVALUATION

Turkish delegation visit Maputo Vuma also stressed the government’s intention to create 36,000 units of social On Tuesday 26 January, a meeting housing as a good investment between a Turkish delegation and the opportunity. The business and technical CTA took place in Maputo. delegation asked the CTA many questions – in particular on the Headed by the Vice-Mayor of Ankara, the qualiﬁcations of the Mozambican Turkish delegation was composed of the workforce, the costs of labour and Turkish Ambassador in Maputo, Aylin construction, the tax systems and the Tashan, and representatives of technical ability to obtain machinery in the country. and commercial Turkish companies. The Mozambican delegation was represented The Vice-Mayor of Ankara recalled the by the vice-president of the CTA, city’s willingness to invest not only in the Agostinho Vuma, accompanied by his construction area but also in other sectors assistants Avelino Zimila and Lucas where Mozambique has identified needs. Judas. This meeting took place the day after a meeting with president of the Maputo The meeting took place in the context of Municipal Council, David Simango, and its the twinning agreement that was signed technical team. last year between the cities of Maputo and Ankara under which the two large cities Source: Confederação das Associações will co-operate in urbanisation, housing Económicas and transportation. Metical: world’s best-performing The purpose of the delegation’s visit in currency may be set for pullback Maputo was to explore the partnership opportunities with the Mozambican private The Mozambican metical’s turnaround sector – particularly in the construction from being one of Africa’s biggest losers sector – in the context of the rehabilitation last year to the best performer globally so plan for the city of Maputo. far in 2016 probably won’t last.

Tashan welcomed the progress made in The currency has gained 7% against the the urbanisation of Maputo but also US dollar this year, reversing a 32% underlined the challenges that still exist to decline in 2015 that marked its biggest develop all parts of the city. She recalled drop in two decades. Still, it is poised to that her country shared the same weaken this year because of slowing challenges and had succeeded in facing Chinese growth and the stronger US them. dollar, said Hanns Spangenberg, senior economist at NKC African Economics. Vuma said that: “Turkey is one of the “The largest pressure on the metical will biggest countries in the world regarding likely stem from Mozambique’s current the construction sector. Partnerships account deficit”, he said. between the Turkish and Mozambican companies would constitute a win-win Mozambique’s current account gap, the situation. The country needs the broadest measure of trade in goods and involvement of your companies and their services, is forecast at 45.3% of gross direct investments”. domestic product (GDP) this year, the

highest in the world after Libya and Bank of Mozambique, held in Tete from Tuvalu, according to data from the Wednesday 27 January to Friday 29 International Monetary Fund (IMF). January.

Source: Bloomberg The central bank’s advisory board or consultative council is an extended Board President Nyusi dismisses deputy of Directors consultative body which central bank governor analyses issues of interest to the central bank and the national economy. President Filipe Nyusi has dismissed the central bank’s deputy governor, António The first two days of the meeting focused Pinto de Abreu, the president’s office said on internal issues and the third and final on Tuesday 26 January, without giving a day was open to the public for the reason. presentation and discussion of the topic: ‘The Importance of External Reserves in The dismissal of de Abreu, who has been the Context of the Current Economic deputy governor of the Bank of Situation and Financial Challenges for the Mozambique since December 2010, came Mozambican Economy’. ahead of its annual meeting later this week. According to the administrator of the Bank of Mozambique, Valdemar de Sousa, the Following the presidential announcement, highlight of the advisory board activities the Advisory Council of the Bank of was the open day on Friday 29 January, Mozambique wished de Abreu a speedy when former governors of the Bank of recovery from the ill-health he is currently Mozambique, administrators, provincial- suffering and has announced that it will level government officials and other honour him for his 33 years of service to guests were present. the institution. Source: Rádio Moçambique/Notícias Spokesperson Waldemar de Sousa told a press conference in Tete Province on ‘Added challenges’ for central bank in Wednesday 27 January, that the former coming year deputy governor of the central bank had fulfilled a number of technical roles On Wednesday 27 January, the governor including head of division, director, of the Bank of Mozambique, Ernesto advisor to the governor and board Gove, warned that the central bank faces member, and had been deputy governor “added challenges” to meet the macro- of the Bank of Mozambique for the five economic targets laid down for 2016 – years ending December 2015. namely a real GDP growth rate of 7%, an inflation rate of no more than 5.6%, and Source: Notícias/Reuters maintaining “an adequate level of foreign reserves”. Central bank’s advisory board meeting commences in Tete Opening a meeting of the Bank’s Consultative Council in the western city of The governor of the Bank of Mozambique, Tete, Gove warned that these targets th Ernesto Gove, presided over the 40 were made more difficult, since the year meeting of the Consultative Council of the

had begun unfavourably with “exogenous had not risen since 2010 (Gove was shocks”, notably the severe drought in the probably refereeing to electricity and south of the country and abnormally water), caused inflation to spike in heavy rains in the north. December. As a result inflation for the year stood at 10.6%. Gove said that in 2015 macro-economic stability had come under pressure, in Gove sketched out the measures taken by terms of inflation and the exchange rate, the central bank to counter inflation and and admitted that the “volatility” of the stabilise the currency. Key among these metical had dominated the year. were increases in the bank’s reference interest rates. By the end of December, He blamed this volatility on “an adverse the Standing Lending Facility (the interest international conjuncture, characterised rate paid by the commercial banks to the by the strengthening of the US dollar and central bank for money borrowed on the the generalised fall in commodity prices, Interbank Money Market) had risen to particularly the prices of commodities that 9.75%, its highest level since October Mozambique exports”. 2012. The Compulsory Reserves Coefficient – the amount of money that Falling world prices for such goods as the commercial banks must deposit with coal, aluminium and natural gas hit the Bank of Mozambique – was raised to Mozambique’s foreign exchange 10.5%. earnings. “Our balance of payments suffered from the lower volume of export “These measures were complemented by earnings”, said Gove, “while the level of strengthening our interventions in the imports remained the same as the market, both by sterilising pockets of previous year”. excess liquidity in meticais, and by making foreign exchange available, within In addition, there was a decline in direct the limits which good international budget support from foreign donors, and a practices recommend”, said Gove. fall in direct foreign investment, “in the context of a substantial increase in foreign At the end of the year, the Bank struck debt servicing”, the governor added. against the abuse of credit and debit cards. A limit was set whereby no one “These factors, together with others of a person, no matter how many cards he or psychological nature, weighed heavily on she holds, can spend or withdraw the the depreciation of the metical”. equivalent of more than MT700,000 when using Mozambican bank cards abroad. At one point, in mid-November, that Gove said this measure was justified to depreciation reached 70%, but there was end the possibility that credit and debit then something of a recovery, and at the cards might be used for money end of the year the devaluation of the laundering. metical against the US dollar was around 40%. The pressures arising from the Gove believed the Bank of Mozambique depreciation of the metical, making can take credit for stabilising the currency. imported goods more expensive, plus the On the inter-bank exchange market the government’s decision to increase certain metical was quoted at MT56.06 to the US prices that are fixed administratively, and dollar at the end of November. But by 14

January it had risen to MT45 to the US unrestrained use of bank cards abroad, dollar, and a similar trend was visible in and that this type of spending has risen the exchange rates used by the dramatically. Three years ago the use of commercial banks. bank cards abroad drained the country of approximately US$300 million a year, but The governor said the financial system by 2015 the figure had risen to US$800 continued to expand in 2015, and there million a year. are now around four million open bank accounts. 42 new bank branches were De Sousa said that the restriction on the opened in the year, bringing the total to use of bank cards was among the 614. There are now bank branches in all measures intended to allow a recovery in provincial capitals, all municipalities and Mozambique’s international reserves, in 75 rural districts. This still means that order to help ensure the country’s macro- around half the country’s districts still economic stability. have no formal banking services. De Sousa added that there must be Source: Agencia de Informacao de greater rigour in pursuing the financial Moçambique objectives laid down for the current year, and that included restoring the level of the Restrictions on bank card use remain international resources by containing in force expenditure.

Restrictions on the use abroad of In the last few months of 2015, the Mozambican bank credit and debit cards reserves were run down, partly because will remain in force for the immediate of the central bank’s sales of foreign future, the spokesperson for the central currency on the inter-bank exchange bank, Waldemar de Sousa, confirmed on market, in an attempt to shore up the Monday 25 January. metical.This appears to have been successful. Rapid depreciation in October Under these restrictions nobody can use and November brought the metical down bank cards outside the country to to a rate of around MT60 to the US dollar withdraw funds or make purchases in in some segments of the market. excess of MT700,000 (approximately However, from late November on, the US$15,380, at current exchange rates). metical has gained in value, and is now quoted at around MT45.5 to the US dollar. Speaking at a Maputo press conference, de Sousa denied that this measure, De Sousa announced that the announced in late 2015, was merely international reserves will be one of the intended to hold back expenditure during themes discussed at the forthcoming the festive season. It will remain in force Consultative Council of the Bank of until instructions to the contrary, and no Mozambique, to be held in the western commercial bank is authorised to allow city of Tete from Wednesday 27 January any exceptions to the rule. to Friday 29 January.

On 30 November 2015, the governor of He warned that recovery from last year’s the central bank, Ernesto Gove, had shocks to the economy is still threatened warned that large sums of money were by the low prices of some of the main leaving the country due to the

commodities that Mozambique exports irregular trend over Q3, recording a (such as coal, aluminium and natural growth from 117.2% in July to 118.8% in gas), and from the impact of natural August and a slight deceleration in disasters. Prolonged drought is September to 117.7%. Compared to the threatening to wipe out harvests in previous quarter, which posted 112.5%, southern Mozambique, while storms and there was an average price increase in torrential rains are posing a problem in the industrial production by about 5.4 north. percentage points. As for sales, the Industry Turnover Index (IVNI) trended These climatic factors “could cause a upwards during the quarter, reaching setback to our recovery”, said de Sousa. 208.4% in September, higher than the He believes that these problems made the 198.6% and 169.2% observed in August task of the central bank even more and July respectively. complex, since recovery strategies would have to be devised which took them into “Compared to the previous quarter, which account. had placed at 175.0%, there is an average increase of this indicator by 17.0 Source: Agencia de Informacao de percentage points”, the INE notes. Moçambique However, the INE points out that the IVNI showed an annual growth rate of minus Mozambique records irregular Q3 2015 4.3% in September, representing an industrial production increase of 2.0 percentage points compared to the rate seen in August. The National Institute of Statistics (INE) says short-term indicators regarding Employment and hours worked recorded Mozambican industry for the third quarter a growing trend during the quarter, of 2015 exhibited irregular characteristics. standing at 109.1% in September after posting 107.1% and 104.9% in August The INE reports that the Industrial and July respectively. Production Index (IPI) registered a slight slowdown, at around 191.9% in August – Source: Notícias down from 192.9% in July. In September, the index accelerated significantly to Important issues for external loans in 195.6%, an average acceleration of 34.4 Mozambique percentage points (pp) over the previous quarter. The development of commercial activities is often dependent on access to credit in “Compared to the same quarter, the IPI in domestic or foreign financial markets. The September showed an annual growth rate attraction of foreign markets is determined of minus 0.7%, compared with minus by several factors, among them a more 2.5% and minus 1.6% recorded in August affordable rate of interest when compared and July respectively. The analysis to domestic rates. Or such funds can considers rates of change based on comprise of loans by foreign partners to moving averages over three months”, the company. However, contracting loans reads an INE press release. from abroad has implications which need to be taken into consideration, and we According to the INE report, the industrial production price index (IPPI) displayed an

believe it is important to share some of of Mozambique towards national them here. companies, i.e. companies incorporated and registered in the country, the Bank of External loans are classified as a capital Mozambique may request a reduction in operations under the Foreign Exchange the interest rate as a condition for Law, approved by Law 11/2009 of March approval of the loan agreement. 11, (Article 6, paragraph 5, (f)) and as such are subject to prior approval by the Financial capacity Bank of Mozambique. This means that before entering into a loan agreement with In order to enable the Bank of a foreign entity, the borrower must Mozambique to assess the financial request prior approval from the Bank of capacity of the borrower, the RLC Mozambique. Therefore, it is necessary to requires the submission of financial consider the main aspects which the Bank statements, preferably audited ones. In of Mozambique takes into account when it the case of companies that have recently examines applications. These include the been established it is possible to submit a interest rate, the financial capacity of the project feasibility study in place of the borrower to service the loan and the loan financial statements. In analysing the terms. application, the Bank of Mozambique applies a solvency criterion of 3:1, i.e. the Interest rates assets of the borrower must comprise of at least one third of the loan amount in In terms of interest rate, the Regulation of order to qualify for the loan. In the the Foreign Exchange Law (RLC) absence of this solvency ratio, the loan (approved by Decree 83/2010, of may be rejected. December 31), Article 72 (2) (a) establishes that the interest rate should Borrower’s foreign exchange status not be greater than or equal to the interest rates practiced in the domestic market, As is the case with funds imported as preferably being 0%, for loans received foreign direct investment, Mozambican from subsidiaries or related companies. A companies with foreign partners must be preferential 0% rate is also applied to duly registered. The company’s records shareholder loans. For third-party loans can be verified by means of a letter issued the law does not establish an interest rate. by the Bank of Mozambique, which However, in practice the same criteria assigns reference numbers to the parties mentioned above apply to the market rate. involved. Proof of registration of funds is made on a Private Capital Import Bulletin One discussion that often arises concerns (BICP) issued by the Bank of the interpretation of the market rate, and Mozambique at the time of the registration whether it is considered the domestic or of the funds. Any irregularities in the international market rate. The foregoing will cause delays in the loan conservative response is that it should be approval process, because any anomalies interpreted as the domestic rate and also must be corrected before the loan can be the rate in the market of origin of the loan approved. funds, i.e. the rate prevailing in the lending market. It is important to note that, Decision-making period given the protectionist attitude of the Bank

Although Article 64 (1) of RLC establishes a) Bank of Mozambique form duly a time period of 15 days for the Bank of completed; Mozambique to decide on applications submitted for authorisation, in practice this b) Documents identifying the parties period may be extended by 30 to 45 days, (commercial registration certificate especially if the application is improperly for legal persons); constituted. c) Draft loan agreement; Penalties d) Economic or social reasons It is important to note that the contracting justifying the need to contract the of an external loan without permission loan; from the Bank of Mozambique contravenes the Foreign Exchange Law e) Financial statements or proof of and is subject to the following penalties: source of funds for repayment of the loan; a) Fines ranging from MT10,000 to MT100,000 for natural f) A copy of the resolution authorising persons and from MT40,000 to the loan in the case of MT400,000 for legal persons; shareholders’ loans.

b) Fines ranging from MT20,000 It should be noted that the Bank of to MT200,000 for natural Mozambique has the right to request persons and MT1,000 to additional information whenever it MT1,000,000 for legal persons, considers this to be necessary, which has for particularly serious offences the effect of suspending the time period in such as simultaneously which the decision should be taken, until committing more than one the requested information is submitted. In exchange control offence; conclusion, we reiterate the importance of obtaining approval from the Bank of c) Supplementary penalties are Mozambique for contracting loans, applied according to the especially since it is not possible to export severity of the offense, and funds to service an external debt without a include a ban on foreign letter approving the loan and proof of exchange operations, with or registration of the funds. without suspension of economic activity for a period Source: MoneyWeb not exceeding the duration of Mozambican Tax authority to boost the ban. turnover with VAT raffle Documentation The Mozambican Tax Authority (AT) is Application for approval of external loans introducing a raffle called ‘RIFA IVA’ to must be accompanied by the following boost the demand for VAT invoices in documentation, in accordance with Article shops. 83 (1) of the RLC: According AT director, Amelia Nakhare, the measure will encourage the many

traders who do not issue receipts for experience of a client who wanted to buy purchases to start doing so, therefore every copy of the paper he had. He putting money into the state coffers. obliged and sold 50 copies of Magazine Independente for MT85 meticais. According to reports, Nakhare told commercial agents in Beira (Sofala “I sold them to this person whose photo is Province) that both buyers and sellers on the front page of the paper”, he said. could win the VAT raffle. The photo he indicated is of Rogerio Manuel, chairperson of the Confederation Nakhare explained that: “for billing, we of Mozambican Business Associations have elected VAT as the ‘Tax of the Year’, (Confederação das Associações because it brings the billing to us. It is Económicas – CTA). VAT which brings us all other taxes”. An Agencia de Informacao de The Rifa IVA will be launched in March, Moçambique reporter eventually found a reports. copy of Magazine Independente at the bookshop in the Rovuma Hotel. He had to Sources: Folha de Maputo/TVM negotiate the price. The seller wanted to charge MT50. “Today’s issue of the paper Minister obliges Rogerio Manuel to has gone up in price. It’s got some very return US$7 million hot news”, said the vendor. Tuesday’s issue of the Maputo weekly The reporter pointed out that the cover Magazine Independente suddenly price is still MT30, and refused to pay any became very scarce as attempts were more. The vendor reluctantly accepted made to buy up every copy being sold on this. the streets of Maputo. When Agencia de Informacao de The street vendors were very pleased by Moçambique contacted the editor of this sudden boom in business. Some of Magazine Independente, Lourenco them told reporters that buyers were Jossias, he said he did not know why the paying MT50 (approximately US$1.10) or paper was selling out in such record time. more per copy – much more than the “I don’t know why there’s so great a typical cover price of MT30. demand. But it’s very good for us”, he One seller in central Maputo, who said. identified himself as Moises, told reporters Buying up the paper seems an attempt to that by 9:30hrs he had sold all the copies prevent the Maputo public from reading he had of Magazine Independente – and the main story. The front page headline all to the same person. “He parked his declared: “Minister obliges Rogerio car, and sounded his horn, I ran over and Manuel to return US$7 million”. he asked me how many copies of Magazine Independente I had”, said The Minister in question is Vitória Diogo, Moises, “I told him there were 40 and he the Minister of Labour, Employment and bought them all for MT50 each”. Social Security. Manuel not only chairs the CTA, but also owns 49% of a A second vendor, named Mario, told company called CR Aviation, which in reporters that he had the same

2014 went into partnership with the abortive CR Aviation/INSS deal will have National Social Security Institute (INSS). no difficulty in finding the Magazine Independente article reproduced in social According to Zitamar News, CR Aviation media. is a private company that flies small aircrafts to tourist destinations around In the meantime, the newly appointed Mozambique and the Kruger National director general of the INSS, Alfredo Park (South Africa). Mauaie, has said that he was taken by surprise by the controversy over the deal The INSS signed a Memorandum of between the INSS and CR Aviation, Understanding (MoU) with CR Aviation, whose shareholders include Manuel, with under which the INSS invested US$7 a 49% holding. million in the company. The INSS was to acquire 15% of the company, and part of Mauaie, who has been in office for less the money was to be used to finance the than a month, says the controversy had acquisition of four light aircraft, plus the arisen at a time when he was only getting expenses of maintenance and inspection. to know the business and evaluate their A copy of the MoU, reproduced in performance and profitability of all the Magazine Independente, breaks down the companies in the institution. INSS investment into US$3 million for 15% of the company, and a loan to the Mauaie will meet CR Aviation during the value of US$4 million to buy, insure and course of the week 29 January to 5 maintain four new aircrafts February, to discuss the implementation of the parties’ MoU. The justification for this operation was an INSS decision to diversify its portfolio of Source: Zitamar News/Agencia de Informacao investments, and to support small and de Moçambique/O País medium companies owned by Mozambican citizens. India to increase oil imports from Africa, cut dependence on Middle East The process of selling CR Aviation shares to the INSS has not yet begun and, India is looking at raising crude oil imports according to Magazine Independente, from Africa as part of efforts to diversify Minister Diogo discovered serious sourcing of energy and reduce anomalies in the arrangement and has dependence on the Middle East, Oil moved to quash the deal. Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Thursday 21 January. Anonymous sources cited by Magazine Independente claimed that, at a meeting India imports nearly 80% of its oil needs. held during the course of the week 15 to Nearly two-thirds of this volume was 22 January, Manuel asked for five years traditionally supplied by exporters in the to return the money, a request which the Middle-East led by Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and INSS turned down. Kuwait. This dependence over time has been brought down. Attempting to remove the paper from the streets has backfired, of course, and The country imported 99.36 million tons of anybody who wants to read about the crude oil in April-September this fiscal

year, 57% of which came from the Middle- “Over the past two decades, the African East region. hydrocarbon sector has seen rapid growth. The new discoveries in Africa “We imported 32 million tons of crude in have seen oil reserves growth by over 2014 from Africa, including three million 100% and gas reserves growth by over tons from North Africa and 29 million tons 55%. We believe that this will greatly from West Africa, mainly from Nigeria and improve Africa’s position as an exporter of Angola. This constitutes approximately not only oil but also gas”, he said. 16% of our consumption. This is going to increase in the coming years”, Minister India has emerged as the fastest growing Pradhan said. major economy in the world with over 7% GDP growth, he said, adding that the Speaking at the inaugural session of the country’s energy consumption has been 4th India-Africa Hydrocarbons Conference, constantly increasing. he said that over the past two decades, the African hydrocarbon sector has been The Compound Annual Growth Rate expanding rapidly as have the interests of (CAGR) of Indian primary energy Indian oil companies in the continent. consumption in the last 15 years has been about 7.3% as compared to a global “As a matter of policy, the present Indian CAGR of 3%. “I expect energy demand to government is keen to move towards a go up further”, he said. geographically diversified energy basket. This has resulted in India’s greater focus Minister Pradhan said as per the on Africa as a vital region for sourcing International Energy Agency’s (IEA) World petroleum products in coming years”, he Energy Outlook 2015, India will contribute said. around 25% of the growth in global energy demand. It will therefore be the Crude import from Africa has played an single largest contributor to energy growth important role in India’s energy security. globally. Indian upstream companies have been active in Africa’s hydrocarbon Of the 99.36 million tons of crude oil India sector. imported in April-September of this fiscal year, Africa supplied a third of it while “In Mozambique, Sudan and South South America accounted for a little less Sudan, Indian companies have a major than 16%. At 11.59 million tons, Nigeria is presence in exploration and production the third largest supplier of crude oil to segments with total investments of nearly India in April-September, behind Saudi US$7-8 billion now”, he said. “Indian Arabia (19.56 million tons) and Iraq (17.01 companies also hold an interest in key oil million tons). and gas projects in Gabon, Libya and Egypt”. Minister Pradhan said India’s scarcity of domestic energy resources can be offset “We are confident that India, apart from by Africa’s surplus energy reserves – being an attractive market for crude oil which accounts for about 15% of current and gas, will be an able partner for African proved accessible global oil reserves. nations across the industry value chain”, he said.

Indian companies are already providing The investments referred to are those comprehensive Engineering, Procurement made by Buzi Hydrocarbons Pte Ltd in the and Construction (EPC) services to the central province of Sofala, and Besmindo hydrocarbon sector in Africa. Currently, Pemba Semesta, a logistics company they are working in Algeria, Nigeria, Libya, based in Pemba. Sudan and Ghana. Ambassador Napitupulu believes that India has also offered a concessional Indonesian involvement in Mozambique is credit of US$10 billion over the next five the result of the good relations between years for African countries. “We have both countries, and he hopes that the good scope to tap into this line of credit coming years will see an increase in for oil and gas projects in Africa. I call investment and trade. upon public and private sector both in India and Africa to identify viable projects, “Indonesia’s investment in Mozambique is which can be financed and pursued growing considerably. I hope it increases through this line of credit”, he said. even further, to the benefit of both countries and peoples”, the outgoing Source: Daily News & Analysis ambassador said.

Indonesia to increase investment in Source: Notícias Mozambique Scottish Secretary’s oil and gas trip to Indonesia expects to increase its share of Mozambique: Aberdeen-Pemba MoU Mozambique’s foreign inward investment on the cards in the coming years in response to the potential represented by the country’s The Secretary of State for Scotland in the natural gas reserves and mineral British government, David Mundell, is resources, outgoing Ambassador scheduled to visit Mozambique in Harbangan Napitupulu announced on February to promote the hydrocarbon Wednesday 27 January. service industry of the Scottish city of Aberdeen. Speaking to reporters, moments after saying his goodbyes to President Filipe Aberdeen is located in the north east of Nyusi, Ambassador Napitupulu indicated Britain and is considered by many to be that his country has invested close to the oil capital of Europe, built on its US$180 million in the hydrocarbon sector experience of serving the North Sea oil in Mozambique, particularly in natural gas. fields. The city council and local chamber of commerce have worked hard to “Two substantial investments have promote international links, including with already been made in Mozambique by Pemba (Cabo Delgado Province). two Indonesian companies. One in the Mozambique’s former president, Armando gas sector is an investment of US$175 Guebuza, visited Aberdeen in 2013. million. The other, in the construction of a factory in Pemba (Cabo Delgado The visit by Mundell will be part of these Province), is worth between US$3-5 efforts to forge a new trading partnership million”, the diplomat said. between Aberdeen and Pemba. According to a press release from the

Scotland Office, the aim of the initiative is Talks with fifth oil round winners at the adoption of a formal MoU between least a month away – INP Aberdeen and Pemba underpinned by an action plan designed to help Pemba According to the head of resource create a local oil and gas hub based on assessment at the National Petroleum the Aberdeen model. Institute (INP), Jose Branquinho, Mozambique does not expect to start The British government has supported the negotiations with the winning bidders for initiative through awarding the city council the fifth oil and gas licencing round for at a £120,000 grant from the Foreign Office least another month. to help draw up the action plan for the Pemba hub. INP is still updating the terms of the country’s model exploration and As well as opening up opportunities for production concession contract (EPCC) – British companies, the arrangement will the framework used to govern upstream also help Mozambique develop its huge oil and gas rights in Mozambique – gas resources. following the publication of the country’s new petroleum law in August 2014. Speaking ahead of a visit to Aberdeen on Thursday 28 January, Mundell said “We cannot negotiate anything without the “Aberdeen’s link-up with Mozambique is a model EPCC. This is something that is win-win for both sides. Mozambique can going to come maybe in one or two learn a huge amount from Aberdeen’s oil months and then we will start to and gas hub model, and its associated negotiate”, Branquinho told reporters on experience and expertise. At the same the side-lines of the Deepwater East & time, Scottish companies will be able to Southern Africa Congress in Maputo on bid for new work and contracts out in Friday 22 January. Mozambique”. Four consortiums led by US supermajor “Our oil and gas sector has huge ExxonMobil, Italy’s ENI, South Africa’s expertise to share”, he said. “This deal will Sasol and UK independent Delonex also bring fantastic opportunities for successfully bid for six blocks in the British companies working in the Scottish country’s latest oil auction, which closed oil and gas sector to win new contracts in June 2015. supporting Pemba’s growing offshore industry”. While some of the payment obligations that were previously negotiable within Councillor Jenny Laing, leader of Mozambique’s EPCC, such as the ‘R Aberdeen City Council which has been factor’ and cost recovery ceilings, are now driving the Pemba initiative, said that: “I fixed within the country’s new petroleum very much welcome the visit to operation tax law, there are still multiple Mozambique by David Mundell. It will help biddable items within the contract. For reinforce the commitment of the UK to example, the duration of the exploration supporting Aberdeen and its industries”. period, the minimum work commitment, the production bonus and the size of the Source: BBC/Agencia de Informacao de stake offered to national oil company, Moçambique Empreesa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos

(ENH) – although a minimum 10% Mozambique says final gas decisions participation is required. to be made this year

Under Mozambique’s new petroleum law Mozambican gas projects being the final licence awards, including the developed by Italy’s ENI and US energy individual terms and conditions of the firm Anadarko Petroleum Corporation will EPCCs, will be made public. be given the final go-ahead by the end of this year, the state-run ENH said on While interest in Mozambique’s fifth Thursday 28 January. licensing round, launched in October 2014, had waned in response to falling oil Final investment decisions (FID) are prices, operators still committed to spend viewed as the final hurdle to developing more than US$691 million over the next huge LNG export projects that will bring four years drilling a minimum of 10 wells – tens of millions of dollars into eight in deep water – which will provide a Mozambique, one of the world’s poorest modest but much-needed boost to the countries. country’s upstream industry. “FIDs will be approved by no later than Sixth licencing round in 2017 2016”, ENH director Nilza Abdula said. “It is a very intense process and we have to The INP is planning to launch the follow international criteria”. country’s sixth oil and gas exploration bidding round in 2017, Branquinho told Source: Reuters delegates at the Africa Oil Week in Cape Town (South Africa) in October last year. ENI names new Mozambique country head However, there is some flexibility to this schedule, and it could be delayed if oil ENI has appointed the new head of its prices stay depressed. Mozambique operations, selecting a man who was previously in charge of ENI’s “We [plan to] undertake a bidding round businesses in Croatia and the UK. every two or three years [but] it can be deferred for other reasons”, Branquinho Fabio Castiglioni takes over from Fabrizio said on Friday. Trilli in Mozambique, after Trilli was moved to ENI’s Houston (Texas) office. For example, before the 2014 bidding Castiglioni most recently had a senior role round, Mozambique had not held an in ENI’s International Upstream auction since 2009. The regulator decided Negotiations team, according to his to hold back on launching a new round LinkedIn profile. As well as ENI’s Area-4 until its petroleum law had been updated project in the Rovuma Basin, where it is to take into account higher commodity seeking final approval from the prices and the country’s new-found gas government for its 2.5 mtpa floating wealth. liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant, ENI won a new exploration block in the fifth oil and Source: Zitamar News gas licensing round run by petroleum regulator INP last year.

Source: Zitamar News

Addendum: legal, illegal Mozambique such as schools and so on”, he rubies and legal Angola diamonds in highlighted. the spotlight Last year, Montepuez Ruby Mining paid Creamer Media’s Mining Weekly recently taxes to the Mozambique authorities published an article elaborating on last totalling some MT320 million week’s piece, titled Mining company (approximately US$7 million). It was warns of unfair competition (see page 28 viewed as the best taxpayer in Cabo of Rhula intelligent Solutions’ Weekly Delgado and was singled out by the Media Review: 15 January to 22 January): country’s Tax Authority as one of the major contributors to Mozambique’s Mozambique mining company Montepuez balance of payments. Ruby Mining Limitada has made public its concerns about unfair competition by The company obtained a 25-year illegal miners. exploration and mining licence from the Mozambique government in February The company operates a ruby and 2012. The licence area covers 33,600 corundum mine at Namanhumbir, in the hectares. The mine is an open pit Montepuez district, which lies in the operation with a capacity of 100 t/h. Its southern region of Cabo Delgado indicated and inferred resource was Province. It is 75%-owned by British reported by the company last year to be (London Stock Exchange Aim-listed) 467 million carats at a grade of 62.3 ct per enterprise Gemfields and 25%-owned by ton of ore. local business Mwiriti Limitada. Up to July last year, the mine’s production Montepuez Ruby Mining chairperson, had reached 16 million carats. Over its Asghar Fakir, told reporters that illegal life, which is forecast to be 21 years, the mining is still a common occurrence in the mine is expected to produce 432 million area, despite a small decline. “The carats. It employs 369 people (318 phenomenon is not yet fully under Mozambicans), 248 contract security staff control”, he said. “There are foreigners and personnel employed as a result of here plundering the country’s resources civil and drilling contracts. without paying taxes. There is a lot of money coming out of Namanhumbir – The first auction of rubies from the mine about US$250 million worth of rubies are took place in Singapore in June 2014 and exported illegally from Namamhumbir raised US$33.5 million. The second annually”. auction, in December 2014 and also in Singapore, brought in US$43.3 million. Company Executive, Saul Machine, urged The third auction, in April last year, in the Mozambique government to crack Jaipur (India), raised US$15.9 million, down on illegal mining as, unlike his while the fourth (held also in Singapore), company, the illegal miners did not pay in June last year, realised US$29.3 any taxes. “The State is losing a lot of million. The fifth and most recent ruby money due to the non-payment of taxes – auction, in Singapore, in December, money that should be helping develop the brought in US$28.8 million. country and building public infrastructure

Meanwhile, staying with precious stones The New Deal on Energy for Africa is a but moving to the opposite side of the transformative partnership-driven effort continent, it is reported that Angola’s with an aspirational goal of achieving diamond production this year will come to universal access to energy in Africa by 8.96 million carats. This will represent a 2025. To drive and achieve this goal, the 1.4% increase over the 2015 figure of AfDB is working with governments, private 8.83 million carats. sector, bilateral and multilateral energy sector initiatives to develop a The figures come from an Angolan Transformative Partnership on Energy for Geology and Mines Ministry document. Of Africa – a platform for public-private the total production forecast for this year, partnerships for innovative financing in 8.1 million carats will come from the Africa’s energy sector. “industrial” (large, formal, mines) sector and 860,000 ct from the artisanal sector. The president of the AfDB, Akinwumi Adesina, was joined by global political and Diamonds are Angola’s number two business leaders to discuss the New Deal export product, after oil, and the country is on Energy for Africa and the one of the five main producers of the Transformative Partnership on Energy for precious stones in the world. In Africa. Those in attendance were also December, Angola mined and sold 880 invited to share their experiences on how, 100 ct of diamonds, worth US$104.7 together, all partners can mobilise support million, with an average price of to achieve universal access to electricity US$118/ct. The figure for November was in Africa by 2025. 796,700 ct, with a value of US$99.29 million and an average price of An inaugural statement was made by the US$124/ct. “champion” of the New Deal, Kofi Annan, chairman of the Africa Progress Panel, In carat terms, December’s production who referred to the film presented by the figure was 10.56% higher than that of AfDB on the subject, which emphasised November. In terms of total value (not the need to act quickly. Annan’s average price per carat), December statement opened a series of speeches brought in 5.46% more in revenue than delivered by Adesina; Daniel Kablan November. Duncan, Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire; Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda; Source: Creamer Media’s Mining Weekly Hailemariam Desalegn, Prime Minister of Ethiopia; Alpha Condé, President of AfDB presents New Deal on Energy for Guinea; Gayle Smith, administrator of the Africa and the Transformative United States Agency for International Partnership on Energy in Davos Development (USAID); Tony Elumelu, On Wednesday 20 January, the African Nigerian entrepreneur and philanthropist; Development Bank Group (AfDB) Rachel Kyle, CEO of the UN Sustainable presented its New Deal on Energy for Energy for All (SE4All), Ashish Thakkar, Africa, and launched a Transformative executive chairman of Mara Sokoni; Partnership on Energy at the World Marco Lambertini, director-general of Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland). World Wildlife Fund International; Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, director-general of the Swedish International Development

Cooperation (SIDA); and Bono, Irish Ncondezi Power may need to reapply singer-songwriter and philanthropist. for environmental approval

All political leaders were unanimous: the A 300 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power political will and unity between countries plant project in Tete Province, that has are important. Countries need to work attracted US$60 million in Chinese together regionally. Business leaders investment, may need to reapply for its announced their support to realise the environmental approval as the developers New Deal on Energy for Africa. plan to switch generation technologies.

In his address, Adesina said, “The Ncondezi Energy, a London-listed importance of energy in society was company developing the power plant and clearly underscored in 2015 with the associated coal mine, said on 11 January inclusion of energy in the Sustainable that it had agreed to sell 60% of the Development Goals. Hence, lighting up project to Shanghai Electric Power (SEP) and powering Africa is a key priority for for US$25 million up front and US$35 the Bank”. million when the project reaches financial close. “The ‘New Deal on Energy for Africa’ sets the ambitious target of universal access SEP wants to use the more traditional by 2025, which means bringing modern Pulverized Coal (PC) technology that it is energy to 900 million people in sub- more familiar with, rather than the Saharan Africa, to cover for those who do Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) not currently have access as well as the technology that Ncondezi had been expected population growth. This implies planning. However, the environmental a step change in the way that the Bank, approval that Ncondezi won for the power African countries, development partners plant project in 2013 was based on CFB. and the private sector approach the energy sector on the continent”, he said. Hanno Pengilly of Ncondezi Energy told reporters that the company is “reviewing “To succeed, we must work together. As the status of the ESIA (environmental and the African proverb says: ‘If you want to social impact assessment) with respect to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go the technology change, but we suspect it together’. Hence, the African shouldn’t be a major issue because PC Development Bank is working with technology is a cleaner technology” than governments, the private sector, bilateral CFB. and multilateral agencies – several of whom are represented here – to develop However, prior to signing the deal with the a Transformative Partnership on Energy Chinese investor, Ncondezi said on its for Africa. This will provide a platform for website that the power plant “will use a public private partnerships for innovative modern and proven CFB technology, financing for Africa’s energy sector”, which has low emissions and will comply Adesina said. with the government of Mozambique’s requirements for air quality”. Source: African Development Bank Group Toby Lockwood of the IEA Clean Coal Centre told reporters that PC technology

generally produces greater emissions of reach a coal supply agreement with nitrous oxides than a CFB one – although Ncondezi Power, the new entity which depending on what extra technology is owns the power plant project. added to mitigate this, it could end up running cleaner. However, some industry insiders are speculating that SEP may decide to “As CFB plants naturally produce less source their coal from elsewhere, given NOx, the new plant will emit more NOx the quantities of thermal coal that Vale unless some (potentially costly) flue gas and ICVL are storing in and around treatment equipment is installed”, he said. Moatize. Both Vale and ICVL have plans for power plants linked to their mines but Lockwood believes that the switch is more for the time being are incurring costs from likely to have been motivated by financial storing the thermal coal, which is too and operational considerations. “It is cheap to export but which can be used to understandable that Shanghai Electric generate power. has decided to stick with the better-known technology, which is generally easier to Ncondezi says the 300 MW power plant operate”, he said. “CFB may well have would use 1.2 million tons of coal per been a technically better choice for this year. ICVL has some two million tons power plant, but there is a lot of stockpiled at its mine, and Vale is thought resistance from electric utilities to adopt a to have a similar quantity. Moreover, technology which is fairly new at this between them, those two miners will scale”. produce more than 1.2 million tons per year of thermal coal as a by-product to the Coal supply coking coal they export.

Though Ncondezi Energy and SEP have Source: Zitamar News agreed terms, their deal still depends on a number of conditions. Mozambique’s EdM shifts Ressano Garcia power electricity utility, Electricidade de infrastructure to Matola Moçambique (EdM), has to approve the change in technology, and SEP needs EdM is transferring two transformers from approval from its regulators and its parent a power plant at Ressano Garcia to company in China. Matola (Maputo Province), after a transformer blow-out last year which SEP and Ncondezi also have to agree on continues to constrain power supply in their work programme and budget southern Mozambique. towards financial close. SEP has undertaken to bring in finance for the The transformers come from the project from Chinese banks, and will lead Aggreko’s power plant at Ressano Garcia, the procurement of contractors to build, on the South African border. The plant operate and maintain the plant. has supplied electricity on short-term contracts to a number of southern African SEP is not investing in the mine that countries since it opened in 2012. Ncondezi Energy was planning next to the power project. This remains 100% owned An explosion in September 2015 knocked by Ncondezi Energy, which hopes to out EdM’s Matola sub-station, one of two

which supply Mozambique’s three financial strategy for a proposed dam on southern provinces – Maputo, Gaza, and the Limpopo River (in Gaza Province) Inhambane – and the capital, Maputo, through a recently launched tender. with power. EdM later said the problem would take over a year to fix. This project will overflow into additional opportunities for the private sector that While households in the capital have had could include a 40 MW hydroelectric a more or less consistent power supply power plant. since the start of 2016, Zitamar News understands that some big industrial A feasibility study for the Mapai dam consumers in Matola are still suffering project is being undertaken with the help power cuts connected to last September’s of a €3.4 million grant from the African incident. Water Facility, run by the AfDB, and is aimed at helping southern Mozambique’s UK-based Aggreko specialises in rapid- Limpopo Basin area better cope with the reaction temporary power solutions, and effects of climate change. installed a 107.5 MW plant at Ressano Garcia in 2012 to supply EdM and South The current tender, published by Ara-Sul Africa’s Eskom. In 2013, Namibia’s in Notícias, is for a consultant to advise Nampower took out a contract to buy the government on how best to finance some of the expanded 232 MW plant’s the construction of the Mapai dam, as well output, through the Southern Africa Power as to devise opportunities for public- Pool mechanism. The same mechanism private partnerships (PPPs) connected to later allowed Zambia to buy 148 MW- the dam’s development – including, for worth of power from the plant starting in example, a hydroelectric power scheme, September 2015. irrigation development, fisheries and tourism. There is €195,800 set aside for Aggreko’s generation units are that part of the feasibility study, funded by manufactured in the UK and housed in FAPA, an African Development Bank fund containers which make them easily to promote private sector participation in transportable around the world. The development. Expressions of interest from corollary of the company’s flexibility is that consultants are due in by 8 February their power contracts are usually more 2016. expensive than permanent plants. The proposed dam would be located The company is currently running an 18 approximately 80 kilometres from the MW power plant in Nacala (Nampula Pafuri border between Mozambique and Province) which it installed last year. South Africa and roughly 240 kilometres north of Chokwe, according to an Africa Source: Zitamar News Water Fund document on the project. It would have a height of 52 metres, a total New Mozambique dam could feature 40 storage capacity in the order of 6.4 billion MW hydropower PPP cubic metres, and an estimated hydropower potential of 40 MW. The water system administration for southern Mozambique, Ara-Sul, is This year, Mozambique’s southern seeking a consultant to draw up a feasible provinces of Gaza, Inhambane and

Maputo are experiencing one of the worst “We have a power deficit of 630 MW as of droughts in living memory. However, the January 2016, although we expect this to area is also prone to flooding. For more reduce to below 160 MW by August 2016 information on the tender, email as mitigation measures are put in place”, [email protected], or call he said. The measures include bringing +258 21 30 67 56, or visit the Ara-Sul forward new power projects such as a 300 offices in Maputo. MW coal-fired plant due to start output in June and additional power imports. Source: Zitamar News Zesco also planned to distribute 1.4 Kariba hydropower output drops to million energy-saving bulbs after the 25% of capacity government banned ordinary bulbs. This would cut the country’s power usage by Zambia’s state power utility Zesco Ltd has about 200 MW, Kapata said. cut electricity generation to a quarter of capacity at its Kariba hydropower plant Source: Reuters due to low water levels, the company said on Friday 22 January. Zesco Mozambique resumes traffic on Sena spokesperson, Henry Kapata, revealed railway line that the Kariba North Bank power station is generating 275 MW out of a total The Sena railway line was reopened just installed capacity of 1,080 MW. before midnight on Wednesday 20 January, having been closed to traffic On Tuesday 19 January, the authority in since 16 January following the derailment charge said that water levels in southern of a Vale train between the Mapangali and Africa’s Lake Kariba had dropped to 12% Doa railway stations in Doa district (Tete of capacity in the wake of a prolonged Province). drought that threatens crops across the Southern African region where the United A press release from Portos e Caminhos Nations (UN) has warned that 14 million de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM) says people face hunger. preliminary investigations suggest the derailment was due to the heavy rains Zambia is currently generating a total of that fell upstream in the Zambezi Valley 1,129 MW of electricity from its washing away the track bed, leaving the hydropower stations, including Kariba, rails suspended. Kafue Gorge and Victoria Falls, and importing 250 MW mainly from a private With the route reopened, the Tuesday firm in neighbouring Mozambique. 10:30hrs passenger train from Beira (Sofala Province) made it safely through Zambia’s economy has been hit by the to Moatize on Wednesday morning. As a electricity shortages as well as weak safety measure, CFM has strengthened copper prices and put the currency on the teams on the ground and will monitor the back foot against the US dollar. Kapata situation during the rainy season round said daily power blackouts were lasting the clock. eight hours on average, or longer when imports are constrained because of higher Source: Notícias demand within exporting countries.

Nacala port traffic down 16% in 2015 180,000 containers per year. The port currently has a capacity of 100,000 According to an initial report in Notícias, containers a year, according to Notícias. the number of containers that passed through the port of Nacala in northern Source: Notícias/Zitamar News Mozambique fell to 9,000 in 2015 compared with 95,000 in 2014 – a 90% Qatar Airways to introduce direct drop in traffic, which the port authorities Maputo-Doha flights attributed to Vale concluding work on its coal terminal across the bay at Nacala-a- Qatar Airways has announced that it is Velha. increasing connections between Mozambique and Qatar by introducing However, according to the figures additional daily direct flights between published by Portos do Norte, the Doha and Maputo as from March. company managing the port, from January to November 2015, Nacala port The announcement was made at a dealt with 73,780 containers. ceremony where Qatar Airways revealed Cotur Tours as its main agent in Assuming December was an average Mozambique. month, that would put the total for the year at 80,000 – a 16% reduction on the 2014 The current twice weekly Qatar Airways total (and not a 90% reduction as initially flights between Maputo and Doha stop off reported). at Johannesburg (South Africa) in both directions. On Friday 22 January, port director Loni Ribeiro, said that the port had benefitted The carrier said that cutting out the stop in from the coal terminal works in 2013 and Johannesburg would reduce travel time 2014, which imported primary materials by two hours and the decision reflected through Nacala port. Work on the coal confidence that there was enough traffic terminal finished in 2015, and Vale has between the two cities to make the route now started using it to export coal. profitable without stopping over in Johannesburg to pick up more Ribeiro said the port now wants to start passengers. winning more business from Malawi, and to acquire some of the cargo that currently The new direct flight may also prove uses Dar es Salaam (in Tanzania), or attractive to passengers who wish to Durban (in South Africa), for access to the travel on to other destinations in the Indian Ocean. Middle East, Europe and Asia.

Nacala is Mozambique’s third busiest The Maputo-Doha route will use the most port, after Beira (Sofala Province) and the modern of large aircraft, a Boeing 787 capital, Maputo. Dreamliner.

On 19 February, bids will be opened in Source: Agencia de Informacao de Moçambique Nacala to choose the contractor to undertake the next phase of a Japanese- funded expansion of the port’s capacity, to

Maputo Ring Road: new man at the facilitate the traffic of vehicles between wheel the main north-south highway and the Maputo-South Africa motorway. On Thursday 28 January, Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosário demanded Investment in good roads, he said, that Silva Magaia, the new chairperson of “contributes to improving the business the Maputo-South Development Company environment and the rapid socio- (Maputo-Sul) ensure the conclusion of the economic growth of the country”. construction work under way with greater rapidity and with the quality demanded He praised Fumane for the under the contract. “professionalism, commitment, dedication and sacrifice” he had shown while at the He was speaking at the ceremony where head of the company. Magaia was sworn into office, replacing Paulo Fumane at the head of this public Magaia told reporters that: “I have to get company. to know the house. That is what I shall do immediately. I shall sit down with my Maputo-Sul was set up to build the predecessor, understand what is Maputo Ring Road (now nearing its happening and where there may be conclusion), the bridge over the bay of eventual difficulties, and then try to tackle Maputo (linking the centre of the city to these difficulties rapidly”. the district of Katembe), and the roads running south of the bridge from Katembe Both the Ring Road and the Maputo- to Ponto de Ouro (on the border with the Katembe Bridge are predominantly South African province of KwaZulu-Natal), financed via loans from China. The Ring and from Boane to Belavista. Road is a few months behind schedule. Construction began in 2012, and was Prime Minister Rosario urged Magaia to scheduled to end in mid-2015. The bridge prioritise dialogue in resettling is said to be on schedule for completion communities living in the areas affected by the end of 2017. by these projects. He also stressed that the roads and the bridge must be Source: Agencia de Informacao de sustainable – which means vehicles will Moçambique pay tolls to use them. Mozambique to upgrade Ponta do Ouro The Prime Minister said the roads will border with Customs post operate “on the principle that the user pays, to contribute, not only to servicing The border crossing at Ponta do Ouro in the debt, but also to maintain the roads”. Maputo Province will be upgraded to cope with the demand that is expected to follow Prime Minister Rosario said the imposing the construction of the Maputo-Catembe scale of the Ring Road was now visible. It Bridge and the road between Catembe was already facilitating the movement of and Ponta do Ouro. people and goods between Maputo and Marracuene district. The conclusion of the Speaking during a visit to the Ponta do Ring Road, he added, would ease the Ouro border on Saturday 23 January, pressure on roads within the city, and Amelia Nakhare, President of the AT, says a customs post will be opened in the

area to improve the collection of revenue Nacala-Porto Bridge, which connects the for the State. Increasing numbers of town to the industrial zone of Nacala- people, merchandise and goods are Porto. The bridge was destroyed during expected to cross the border with the the floods of 2015 and no efforts have construction of the road linking Catembe, been made as yet to rehabilitate the road in the city of Maputo, and Ponta do Ouro, infrastructure. in Matutuine district. Angered by this situation, the locals have “The Catembe-Ponta do Ouro road will demanded the urgent replacement of the bring an economic boom to the region and bridge in order to facilitate the movement our evaluation is that we need to upgrade of goods and people along one of the the border crossing”, Nakhare said. most important highways in Nacala.

Source: O País The City Council of Nacala has acknowledged the complaints from the BRT project: more than 300 families to locals. However, it argues that there are be resettled no funds to finance in the replacement of the bridge following the investment of Approximately 350 families will be MT1 million in 2015 for the expansion and resettled in Maputo Province in order to broadening of connecting roads in the make way for the renovation of the roads area. which will feature exclusive bus lanes. The Councillor of Transport and Traffic in Source: O País Maputo, João Matlombe, recently revealed that the road reconstruction Estradas do Zambeze says 50 people project, which includes the installation of may lose their jobs various equipment, has been approved. The Estradas do Zambeze consortium, According to Matlombe, the 350 families operator of the main toll road in the have already been identified and notified province, has threatened to fire at least 50 about the pending resettlement. He workers in the near future. reassured the press that his unit is currently looking for space for the The employees concerned work at the toll resettlement, which is the main dilemma stations managed by the company, and at this time. unless an understanding over the fees to be charged is reached with the The construction of roads for the Rapid government soon, they will lose their jobs. Bus Transport system (BRT) in the city of Maputo is scheduled to begin during the Director of Operations at Estradas do first quarter of 2016 (Q1 2016). Zambeze, Luis Ferreira, said that since the collection of fees on the Kassuende Source: Folha de Maputo bridge tolls and elsewhere was suspended, his company has been paying Residents require urgent replacement the wages through an alternative sources; of the Nacala-Porto Bridge but this was not sustainable.

Residents of Nampula Province are In March last year, the government’s demanding the urgent rehabilitation of the National Roads Administration (ANE)

suspended the collection of toll fees in The irrigation project will benefit 11 areas Tete Province after meetings between covering a total of 355 hectares. Estradas do Zambeze, the government and carriers failed to reach agreement Source: Macauhub over tariffs. The Centre for Public Integrity will Source: Folha de Maputo present the final report of the BICA

World Bank finances irrigation projects The CTA has announced that the Centre in Mozambique for Public Integrity (CIP) has issued an invitation for participants in the The World Bank will provide funding of presentation of the ﬁnal report of the approximately US$90 million for Business Integrity Agenda (BICA) that will agricultural irrigation projects in central take place on Monday 1 February, at the Mozambique. Hotel Radisson Blu Maputo from 9:00hrs to 12:00hrs. The report contains the The funding aims to minimise the impact ﬁndings of the research done on business of drought in parts of Manica, Sofala and areas. Zambézia provinces. In this context, the CTA invites business The co-ordinator of the integrated people interested in participating in the sustainable irrigation project in the event to complete their subscription province of Manica, Leonardo Lucas, told through the following contacts: Jacira reporters that funding – which will run for Couto: [email protected] Lucas Judas: six years – aims to increase production [email protected] Tel: +258 21 32 10 and productivity in the regions covered by 01/82 31 11 820/82 31 91 300 the project. Source: Confederação das Associações Económicas

POLITICS

United States expresses "deep According to the press statement, the concern" over attack on Renamo embassy “is waiting for the Mozambican secretary-general authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation and ensure On Monday 25 January, the United that those responsible for this heinous States conveyed “deep concern” over crime are brought to justice” the shooting of Renamo Secretary- General, Manuel Bissopo, on The US embassy also condemns “the Wednesday 20 January, and expressed recently reported killings and the hope that those responsible for the persecutions of representatives in local “heinous crime” would be brought to and political authorities at various justice. levels”, addressing its condolences to the families of the victims.

On Friday 22 January, the European At a press conference in the city of Union (EU) also demanded that those Quelimane (Zambézia Province), responsible for the “trend of violence” Renamo parliamentary leader, Ivone are swiftly brought to book, and Soares, linked all such incidences to revealed that it is closely monitoring the Frelimo, accusing the ruling party of situation in Mozambique. repeated assassination attempts against Renamo’s leaders. “This attack confirms the trend of violence affecting Mozambican political Speaking on Thursday 21 January – a life and players”, an EU spokesperson day after Renamo Secretary-General, said, adding that Brussels “calls for a Manuel Bissopo, was shot by unknown prompt investigation and clarification of assailants – Soares said that the responsibility for the attack on Manuel country is in a critical situation as a Bissopo and others that have happened result of the wave of murders targeting recently”. Renamo members and civilians who are opposed to Frelimo. Source: Voz da América/Lusa “The government must unconditionally Attack on Renamo general secretary cease these attempts on the lives of condemned politicians, academics, journalists and businessmen”, she said. On Tuesday 26 January, the governing board of the National Assembly urged Bissopo was shot in Beira on 20 the institutions of the administration of January, after holding a press justice to hunt down those responsible conference denouncing the alleged for the attempted assassination on 20 abductions and murders of members of January of Manuel Bissopo, secretary- his party. He was seriously injured and general of Renamo. his security guard died on the spot.

The spokesperson for the National According to Soares, since the election Assembly’s Standing Commission, of President Filipe Nyusi, kidnappings, Mateus Katupha, told reporters that the murders and the persecution of the Commission condemned the crime, Renamo leadership and members have expressed its solidarity with Bissopo, soared. and urged the authorities to bring those involved in the shooting to justice. “The abuses that the Interior Ministry is pursuing in this country must stop Source: Agencia de Informacao de immediately. If the Minister of the Moçambique Interior believes that he is the Rambo in this situation, then let the President Ivone Soares calls for the resignation dismiss him from office immediately. of the Interior Minister Because in a short period of time he has Renamo is pinning the blame for the created a situation of uncertainty about murder and persecution of its members the future. We do not want a on Frelimo and is therefore demanding bloodsucker minister who lives on the the dismissal of the Interior Minister. blood of innocent people”.

Soares added that in recent years, improves quickly and returns to the Frelimo governance has failed the conviviality of his family and his party, to population of the central region of the resume his contribution to political life in country and in the provinces of the north opposition”. and south where Renamo achieved victory in the elections. José brushed off Soares’ accusations saying they were “baseless and hasty”, Soares says the living conditions of the adding that just because Bissopo works population of these provinces is poor for Renamo and as an MP it cannot be compared to the situation experienced concluded that the crime against him by people in the provinces where was necessarily political. Frelimo has a majority. She points out that her party is prepared to defend Source: Deutsche Welle/Folha de Maputo democracy in the country. “When the people exercise their right to vote, you Renamo leader denies foreign hope to improve your life. What we have support been witnessing in our country, and in Renamo leader, Afonso Dhlakama, has our rich province of Zambézia, is rejected allegations that his party shameful. If Frelimo does not know how receives foreign support, and reiterated [to govern], [it should] leave. In this that it is preparing to take power in the country we still have a long way to go, six provinces where he claims to have but we will not give up. Each of you one the most votes during the 2014 must fight for effective democracy”, she elections. concluded. Dhlakama, who has not been seen in Interior Minister, Jaime Monteiro, says public since the police siege on his Renamo does not constitute any Beira residence on 9 October, was security threat and describes operations speaking from Gorongosa, where he targeted at Renamo headquarters and has allegedly taken refuge. Quoted by elsewhere as typical policing actions in the news agency Lusa, Dhlakama said order to guarantee security. “Our goal, that: “We have absolutely nothing from our insistence, is to remove all security abroad. Our survival has depended threats from the population. The country solely on our own efforts, our is stable. All institutions are functioning”, contributors, our businesses, our he said. members and supporters”. Frelimo spokesperson, Damiao José, According to the opposition leader, not has also expressed dismay over the even “fraternal parties” such as PSD shooting of the Renamo secretary- (Portugal), or the PP (Spain), the general. Republicans (United States), or the Speaking to Lusa on 21 January, he British Conservatives, have provided said that: “It was a criminal action which any support to Renamo. we deeply deplore. Of course we “We have survived on our companies”, condemn any action that jeopardises the said Dhlakama. physical wellbeing of Mozambican citizens. We hope that Manuel Bissopo Source: Folha de Maputo

Morrumbala government wants to that the children can study. We are negotiate with Renamo worried because the school year is about to begin”. The government of Morrumbala district (in Zambézia Province) plans to meet in There are about 170 teachers in the the near future with the local leadership Sabe schools. of Renamo in the locality of Sabe. They have fled from Sabe to take refuge In 2015, the illegal Renamo militia either in Morrumbala town, or in established a new military base in Sabe, neighbouring districts. which Renamo leader, Afonso Dhlakama, called a “general staff At the end of 2015, 1,200 seventh grade headquarters”. The increasing instability pupils in Sabe were supposed to sit final in Sabe led to the interruption of classes exams (for the transition from primary to in primary schools in the locality last secondary education) but the military October, and unless a solution is found tensions made this impossible. soon, approximately 9,000 pupils may be unable to continue their studies. The presence of armed Renamo gangs has also had a serious impact on the Morrumbala district administrator Pedro Sabe economy, affecting agricultural Sapange told reporters on Friday 22 production because farmers feel it is not January, that a meeting with Renamo to safe to work their fields. negotiate the reopening of the schools could happen before the start of the Source: Agencia de Informacao de school year on 5 February. Moçambique

Sapange planned to meet with State President Nyusi declares “complete employees who have fled from Sabe on willingness” to work with Marcelo Tuesday 26 January, with the aim of On Monday 25 January, President Filipe persuading them to return to their posts, Nyusi congratulated Marcelo Rebelo de since the military situation is currently Sousa on his election as President of calm. the Republic of Portugal, declaring his Not all state workers have abandoned “full availability” to work toward Sabe. According to Sapange, the Sabe deepening relations between the two health centre remains operational. Every countries. day the health workers, who are In the message to de Sousa, the currently living in Morrumbala town, Mozambican head of state expressed travel to Sabe, work at the centre, and the hope that good relations between return to the town in the evening. the Republic of Mozambique and the Sapange thought that Sabe teachers, Portuguese Republic would continue. who are currently also in Morrumbala “I express my complete willingness to town, could do the same. He wanted the work with you so that relations between teachers to return to their schools, even the Republic of Mozambique and the if they have to commute between Portuguese Republic will continue to be Morrumbala and Sabe, “to guarantee consolidated for the economic and

social progress of our peoples and economies, cultures and universities”, countries”, said President Nyusi. said the then presidential candidate.

Expressing “great satisfaction” with the In December 2015, the former political outcome of the vote and addressing analyst participated in the first Social “wishes of much success” for his and Economic Forum in Mozambique presidential term, President Nyusi said (Mozefo), held in Maputo, a city where that he was convinced that with this he spent part of his youth while his election, “the bonds of friendship that father, Baltazar Rebelo de Sousa, was have always united our two peoples and governor-general of the former countries will continue to be Portuguese colony. strengthened and deepened”. Relations between Portugal and For the President, the historic Mozambique have been marked in partnership between the two countries recent years by meetings at the highest has been expressed in the “excellent level with the Portuguese President, relations of friendship, solidarity and co- Aníbal Cavaco Silva, who was the only operation and significant progress in the non-African head of state to attend the economic sphere”, highlighting the inauguration of President Nyusi, on 15 increase in Portuguese investment in January 2015. Mozambique. The new Mozambican President, in turn, President Nyusi also said that he chose Portugal for his first state visit interprets the choice of the Portuguese outside Africa, in July last year. electorate as “a proof of recognition of the personal and professional qualities” Source: Lusa of de Sousa, which is characterised by the “integrity, commitment and Mozambique relaunches bilateral co- dedication” he has shown during his operation with the Republic of Sudan political career. On Thursday 28 January, Mozambique Speaking to reporters before a visit to and Sudan took a very important step Maputo in early December, de Sousa towards the resumption of bilateral co- said that, if elected, he expected to operation between the two countries contribute towards a “natural with the signing of two agreements understanding” of relations with between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs Mozambique, a country that he and Cooperation at the African Union considers to be his “second home”. headquarters in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).

“Whatever functions I assume in the The two agreements on political future, in Mozambique there is a special consultation and general topics follow treatment, a special care and a natural the visit of the Sudanese Foreign Affairs understanding that displayed by the Minister to Mozambique last year, Mozambican people, many of whom are during which he expressed the desire of responsible for the closer relations Sudan’s President, Omar Al-Bashir to between countries, institutions, re-ignite co-operation between the two states.

“Today we are legitimised to establish infrastructure, green development, and formal contacts of all kinds, and to align, poverty reduction. as far as possible, our positions and political understandings”, Mozambican “We hope co-operation between China Foreign Minister Oldemiro Balói said. and Africa will bear fruit and benefit the people at an early date, promote win- Source: O País win outcomes and joint development between China and Africa”, Chunying Minister Wang Yi to visit Malawi, said. Mauritius, Mozambique and Namibia As for the International Humanitarian Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will Pledging Conference for Syria, depart from China on 30 January to pay Chunying said that the minister will official visits to Malawi, Mauritius, elaborate on China’s proposals for Mozambique and Namibia, before Syria’s humanitarian situation and attending the International Humanitarian political settlement process, as well as Pledging Conference for Syria in measures to alleviate the suffering of London on 4 February. Syria’s homeless and refugees.

“Choosing Africa as the destination for China hopes this conference will bring the foreign minister’s first trip each year attention from all sides to the refugee is a fine tradition of China’s diplomacy. It issue and leverage more international shows the importance attached to efforts on the assistance and settlement China-Africa ties”, Foreign Ministry of refugees, she said. spokesperson, Hua Chunying, said at a regular news briefing on Thursday 28 She added that China supports a UN January, in Beijing. mediating role for a political settlement in Syrian, which will help address the The choice of the four countries root cause of the refugee issue. demonstrates China’s diplomatic principle of treating all countries on an Source: Xinhua equal basis, Chunying said. Tony Blair puts advisers in Minister Wang will meet leaders and President’s office foreign ministers to discuss how to implement the outcomes of the Advisers employed by former UK prime Johannesburg summit of the Forum on minister Tony Blair have been China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and embedded in the office of President to align priority cooperation areas and Filipe Nyusi since November 2015 and projects. look set to scale up their activities in the country. During the summit in early December, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed The advisers work for Blair’s Africa 10 major co-operation plans for the next Governance Initiative (AGI), which was three years in such areas as established to provide “practical advice industrialisation, agriculture, and support” to help African leaders “bridge the gap between their vision for

a better future and the capacity of their Eventful year beckons for southern governments to achieve it”. Africa

The AGI currently works in Nigeria, An eventful year awaits southern Africa Sierra Leone, Liberia, Rwanda, Ethiopia, in 2016 as the region intensifies the Guinea, and Kenya, as well as the most implementation of key milestones on recent addition, Mozambique. In each of industrialisation, trade and infrastructure those countries, AGI says it has “had an development, as well as the migration to invitation from the head of government digital broadcasting. to provide capacity development support”. On the economic front, the South African Development Community According to a source in Maputo, AGI (SADC) Member States are expected to advisers started work in the presidency start the process of ratifying the in Maputo in November 2015, “doing agreement on the Tripartite Free Trade their core business of trying to help Area (TFTA) signed in June 2015 to improve the effectiveness of the create an enlarged market extending presidency”. Blair himself “dropped in to from Cape to Cairo. see them in early December”, the source said. So far, 16 countries have signed the Tripartite FTA that covers 27 countries So far, there is no country office for AGI in three regional communities – the in Mozambique, but that could be set to Common Market for Eastern and change. According to a job advert Southern Africa (COMESA), East published last month, AGI is looking to African Community (EAC), and SADC. hire new people to “lead our country programmes, particularly in new project Half of these 16 countries are from the countries”, and would “like to hear from SADC. These are Angola, Democratic candidates who speak fluent French Republic of Congo, Malawi, Namibia, and/or Portuguese, for recruitment to Seychelles, Swaziland, United Republic our projects in Francophone and of Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Lusophone countries”. The remaining SADC countries of AGI says it hires people with “a proven Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, track record of leadership and delivery Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa, in the public or private sectors”, and Zambia are expected to sign the particularly with a background or agreement by June 2016. expertise in the power and energy, transport, and infrastructure sectors; in Following the signing, governments will private equity and finance; and in initiate a ratification process through international development. their national procedures. The agreement will enter into force after Source: Zitamar News approval is attained by two-thirds of members of the COMESA-EAC-SADC tripartite, advancing the regional law from a stated intention to actual application.

Creation of an enlarged market with a The industrialisation strategy and combined population of some 600 roadmap aim to ensure that member million people and a GDP of about states harness the full potential of their US$1 trillion is expected to boost intra- vast and diverse natural resources, as regional trade in Africa and deepen most SADC Member States are getting integration through improved very little in return for their resources infrastructure development, investment since these are usually exported in raw flows and enhanced competition. form, with most of the value addition and beneficiation taking place outside the In addition to the TFTA, the year will region, thus benefiting other countries. witness intensified negotiations for the establishment of the proposed The RISDP is a blueprint for regional Continental FTA (CFTA) aimed at integration and development, and the promoting the smooth movement of revised document realigns the region’s goods, services and people across the development agenda with new realities continent. and emerging global dynamics, and takes into account the issues of Negotiations for the CFTA began in industrialisation. June 2015 and the enlarged continental market is expected to evolve from the With regard to international trade, SADC existing FTAs in sub-regional economic will be looking at ways to benefit from blocs, eventually creating a continental the new US$60 billion fund pledged by bloc with more than one billion people China to support development on the and a combined GDP of more than African continent. US$3.4 trillion. China made the commitment at the The ratification and implementation of FOCAC held in December 2015. The the TFTA is therefore critical for the support covers a wide range of sectors success of the CFTA, targeted for 2017. including agriculture, energy and information technology. Both FTAs depend heavily on the industrialisation agenda. China is rapidly expanding its portfolio from bilateral support to individual Therefore, the year 2016 will see SADC countries to regional economic implement two historic regional communities including SADC. programmes approved last year – the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and The year is also expected to see a Roadmap 2015-2063 and the Revised group of SADC Member States begin Regional Indicative Strategic the implementation of the Economic Development Plan (RISDP) 2015-2020. Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) signed in July A detailed costing plan for the strategy 2014. and the alignment of all other regional activities to the two new strategic The agreement is undergoing legal documents is expected to be finalised vetting, leading to eventual signature, this year. ratification and implementation in 2016.

The group of SADC countries that On infrastructure development, the signed the agreement comprise region will continue the implementation Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, of projects contained in the SADC Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland. In Regional Infrastructure Development future, Angola may join this SADC Master Plan. group. The 15-year Master Plan is intended to The other mainland SADC countries are guide the implementation of cross- negotiating an EPA with the EU under border infrastructure projects between the Eastern and Southern Africa banner, 2013 and 2027 over three five-year while the island nations are negotiating intervals, with the first phase covering under the Pacific group. the period 2012-17 and costing around US$64 billion in investment. EPAs are trade and development agreements that the EU is negotiating to Agriculture and food security remains a open up its markets with the Caribbean top priority for SADC in 2016 following region; Central Africa; Eastern and low rainfall and drought conditions. Southern Africa; Pacific, Southern Africa Countries in the region have already (the SADC group) and West Africa. started importing food.

On energy development, the recently With regard to the management of the approved SADC Regional Centre for environment and natural resources, Renewable Energy and Energy SADC will host the 17th Conference of Efficiency (SACREEE) is set to start the Parties of the Convention on operations, which are expected to International Trade in Endangered change the “landscape of energy Species in October in Johannesburg, development in SADC”, by allowing the South Africa. region to fully harness its vast renewable energy potential. One of the topical issues SADC countries want addressed is the need to To be hosted by Namibia, SACREEE lift an international ban on trade in ivory. should, among other things, spearhead The international community imposed a the promotion of renewable energy ban on ivory trading a few years ago to development in the region. protect elephants and rhinoceros, which were facing extinction. SADC has an abundance of renewables ranging from wind, solar and hydro, yet However, the ban has seriously eroded only a small fraction is being exploited. the revenue for animal conservation, and some countries have accumulated a The commissioning of new power will be lot of elephant tusks which they cannot accelerated to allow the region to fully dispose of, while the ban has led to an recover from the energy crisis. This year increase in poaching as communities alone, SADC plans to add a total of are no longer benefiting from proceeds 3,680 MW of new electricity to the from the ivory trade. regional grid. By 2019, the region aims to have commissioned a massive Gender will occupy its rightful place this 23,580 MW. year as the region and the African

continent take stock of progress towards Due to the use of data compression, gender equality and equity. digital links generally have more efficient bandwidth usage than analogue, which The African Union (AU) has set the makes possible more services and theme for 2016 as the “African Year of channels than previously possible, and Human Rights with a particular focus on improved picture quality. the Rights of Women”. Another important milestone for the SADC has generally done well in region will be the holding of elections in promoting gender development with an at least two SADC countries, the DRC increasing number of women occupying and Zambia. decision-making positions. According to the new Zambian Last year, SADC ministers responsible Constitution, the country has fixed 11 for Gender and Women Affairs agreed August as Election Day. Previously, the to review targets of the SADC Protocol President set the date for an election. on Gender and Development in the context of the new UN Sustainable Other constitutional amendments Development Goals approved in 2015. include the need for the winning candidate to secure at least 50% plus In respect of information technology, one vote, unlike the former first-past- SADC has pledged to complete the the-post electoral system. Therefore, if migration from analogue to digital there is no majority winner then broadcasting in 2016. This is after some coalitions, mergers and reruns may take countries failed to meet the global place. deadline set by the International Telecommunications Union of 17 June Presidential candidates will have to run 2015. on a joint ticket with their vice- presidential candidate. In the past, a Two SADC Member States were the Vice President was appointed by the first African countries to migrate to president. Digital Terrestrial Television. Mauritius was the first African nation to fully Incumbent President Edgar Lungu has digitise television broadcasting for all been nominated by the ruling Patriotic regions and islands in 2007, followed by Front to contest the elections, and will Tanzania in 2012. run against other candidates including Hichilema Hakainde of the main Others that have switched on from opposition United Party for National analogue to digital broadcasting are Development. Namibia, Malawi and South Africa. President Lungu was elected in 2015 Digital broadcasting involves the use of following the death of President Michael digital signals rather than analogue Sata in October 2014 to become the wave forms to transmit television sixth president of Zambia since the broadcast channels on assigned radio country got its independence from frequency bands. Britain on 24 October 1964.

DRC is expected to hold presidential meetings involving relevant government and legislative elections later this year ministers. but a date is yet to be set. It is not also clear if incumbent President Joseph The meeting follows the decision taken Kabila will stand for re-election as he is in June 2015 in Johannesburg (South serving his second and last term in Africa), to organise a summit to office under the current constitution. deliberate strategies aimed at revitalising the APRM to play a decisive Kabila came to power in 2001 following role in monitoring the AU’s Agenda 2063 the assassination of his father, Laurent and the United Nations’ Sustainable Kabila. Under his leadership, DRC has Development Goals. emerged from the dark years of war, and he has led a transitional President Nyusi’s agenda on Friday also government that in 2006 brought about included a meeting with the President of the country’s first democratic elections the African Development Bank, in more than 40 years, which he won. Akinwumi Adesina, a visit to the Chancellery of the Embassy of the The year will also see Swaziland host Republic of Mozambique in Ethiopia and the 36th SADC Heads of State and lunch with representatives of the Government Summit in August. At the Mozambican community in Ethiopia. summit King Mswati III will assume the SADC chair from President Seretse President Nyusi will also participate in Khama Ian Khama of Botswana. Source: the meeting on climate change and the The Herald/Southern African News African Union Peace and Security Features Council which extensively discussed the state of peace and security on the President Nyusi joins 54 African continent. heads of state at AU Summit in Ethiopia Speaking on Thursday to national news media, the president of the National On Thursday 28 January, President Mozambican APRM Forum, Lourenço Filipe Nyusi arrived in Addis Ababa do Rosário, said that no progress report (Ethiopia) accompanied by First Lady, would be presented by Mozambique at Isaura Nyusi, to take part in the 26th this meeting. This is due to the transfer African Union (AU) Heads of State of the extraordinary meeting agenda Summit. On Friday 29 January, mechanism which was scheduled for the President Nyusi attended the African end of 2015 to the present summit. Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) meeting and address his counterparts in Friday’s APRM meeting focused on the the plenary meeting. instrument’s internal reorganisation, including issues related to its integration The APRM meeting brings together into the structures of the continental member states under the motto ‘To organisation, funding problems and revitalise the APRM to Strengthen philosophies with regard to Agenda Governance in Africa’, and was 2063, and the claim that the African preceded by two preparatory technical Peer Review Mechanism monitors the actions set out in it even though there is

a need to discuss how this monitoring the country from Attorney-General can take place, since not all AU Beatriz Buchili, the debate on the members are part of the mechanism. General State Accounts, the revision of the Penal Procedural Code, and a The holding of periodic elections, the proposal from the majority Frelimo Party existence of multi-party democracy, not to set up an ad-hoc commission to draft coming to power by means of a coup constitutional amendments. and good governance are some of the principles that guide the African Peer Since the two opposition parties, Review Mechanism, membership of Renamo and the Mozambican which is voluntary. Democratic Movement (MDM), had not yet submitted any matters for the However, do Rosário said that the agenda, the Standing Commission Mozambique report notes some decided to continue its meeting on challenges that must still be overcome, Wednesday 27 January. notably the fight against corruption, securing peace and methods for Source: O País/Agencia de Informacao de overcoming regional differences. Moçambique

The AU Summit is taking place under Mozambique must give effect to Law the theme ‘African Year of Human on asset declaration for public Rights with a Particular Focus on the officials Rights of Women’ The Centre for Public Integrity (CIP) has The session is expected to bring called for urgent measures to give effect together 54 heads of State and to the Law on the Declaration of Assets Government of African Union member (Law No. 16/2012 of 14 August), also countries and will be preceded by known as the Law of Public Probity. several other meetings of technicians with various special committees. According to the NGO, three years after its entry into force, “the process for the Sources: Notícias/Angop filing of asset declarations is not yet effective, and is characterised by Third Ordinary Session scheduled for illegalities, disorganisation, 17 February inconsistencies and lack of application, rendering the law ineffective”. On Tuesday 26 January, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly The findings are contained in a report held an official meeting and decided that that examines the implementation of the the next sitting of the Assembly will law in Cabo Delgado, Nampula, begin on Wednesday 17 February, and Zambézia, Niassa, Tete and Sofala. The will continue until 20 July, with an purpose of the report is to “assess the interruption from 6 May to 15 June. level of adherence to the process by the public entities covered by the The agenda for the session so far compulsory submission of asset includes 16 points, among them the declarations”, and the results show that annual report on the state of justice in the situation falls short of expectations.

“What we observed is that the process practical result is that the three is still at a very early stage. Nearly three Secretariat members who currently also years after the approval of the Public sit in Parliament will have to stand down Probity Law, implementation is from the Secretariat. characterised by a number of inconsistencies, for several reasons: the They are: Sergio Pantie, Central existence of non-uniform procedures in Committee Secretary for Party provincial prosecutors’ offices; many Organisation, and deputy head of the questions of interpretation of the law by Frelimo parliamentary group; Edson the members of the reception and Macuácua, Central Committee for verification committees of provincial Training and Cadres, and chairperson of prosecutors, which were not clarified by the Assembly’s Commission for the Central Commission of the Attorney Constitutional and Legal Affairs; and General’s Office; the non-application of Damiao José himself, who currently sanction measures to entities that by combines his secretariat position with law were to deposit the balance sheet membership of the Assembly. statements; and the fact that provincial District Attorney offices did not receive “It’s a fact that all cadres who have any statements at their level”, the CIP positions in the Central Committee and summary of findings reads. are also parliamentary deputies will have to leave the Secretariat”, José Source: O País confirmed.

Frelimo Central Committee to The Frelimo general secretary, Eliseu undertake reshuffle Machava, is not a member of the Assembly, and so is not covered by the The extraordinary meeting of the Central directive. Replacing him was not on the Committee of Mozambique’s ruling agenda, José declared. Likewise, there Frelimo Party, scheduled for early was nothing on the agenda about February, will restructure the Party’s electing new or dismissing old members secretariat, but will not elect a new of the Frelimo Political Commission. general secretary, according to Damiao José, the Secretary for Mobilisation and But last year, “it’s not on the agenda” Propaganda. was the answer given by José when reporters asked him if the Central The agenda of the meeting has just one Committee meeting scheduled for point, the restructuring of the February-March 2015 would replace Secretariat, José said. This is necessary Armando Guebuza with Filipe Nyusi as in order to implement a directive from president of Frelimo. Jose insisted that the last Central Committee meeting, Guebuza would serve out his full term of which determined that no member of the office as Party leader, and that did not National Assembly, or of the provincial expire until the next Frelimo Congress, assemblies, can also hold office inside scheduled for 2017. the Frelimo structures. But the Central Committee changed its This is regarded as a step towards the agenda, and Guebuza fell, replaced by separation of party and State. The President Nyusi who, as has been

normal practice within Frelimo, Maputo and from the Indian Ocean to combined the role of President of the Zumbo. Republic and president of Frelimo in one and the same person. The Central Committee’s Secretary for Mobilisation and Propaganda said that The Central Committee could do the the aim of the process is to keep the same thing this time, changing its party active throughout the country, so agenda so as to elect a new Secretary- that it can continue to be a force of General and a new Political change. Commission. The independent weekly Savana confidently predicted that the Source: Notícias/Agencia de Informacao de meeting will elect a new Secretary- Moçambique General, and even said that the four people in the running to succeed Mozambique makes little progress in Machava are former prime minister the fight against corruption – Luisa Diogo, former minister of energy Transparency International and mineral resources, Castigo Langa, On Wednesday 27 January, former environment minister Alcinda Transparency International released its Abreu, and prominent parliamentarian annual index on corruption perception Ana Rita Sithole. amongst the public sector. As for the new Secretariat, to date the A country or territory’s score indicates possible candidates are not yet known the perceived level of public sector but will be announced in due course, corruption on a scale of 0 (highly said José. The directive stipulates that corrupt) to 100 (very clean). A country’s the applicants should be made public at rank indicates its position relative to the least 24 hours before the meeting. other countries in the index. The 2015 According to the guidelines, applications index includes 168 countries and are not open, the names of the new territories. members of the Secretariat are According to the 2015 index, proposed by the bodies or by a group of Mozambique has made very little Central Committee members. progress in fighting corruption, ranking th Meanwhile, Jose added, the process of 112 with 31 points. internal elections, which began on 11 In the previous year (2014) Mozambique July 2015, covering the cells, circles and ranked 119th, however, the overall score area committees, aimed at revitalising remains the same in 2015 and 2014 the organs in the light of the party’s (31). Therefore, the report concludes statutes, ended in a comradely and that very little progress, if any, was festive atmosphere. made in Mozambique in terms of Across the country the party has combatting corruption. 346,696 cells, 11,513 circles of Source: O País/Transparency International committees and 268 district committees. Until now the Frelimo Party accounts for 4,253,630 members from the Rovuma to

Muslims march for peace in The march proceeded along the city’s Mozambique main roads and ended at the local municipal stadium, where the On Sunday 24 January, thousands of spokesperson for the Muslim Muslims marched through the community, Gafar Abdul Gafar, invited municipality of Ilha de Moçambique, all Muslims to pray for understanding calling for peace and stability and and unity, and to appeal to the political expressing concern for the political actors within the country (namely situation of the country. Frelimo and Renamo) to come to an understanding, so that all Mozambicans The march, which also celebrated the can live in peace. birthday of the prophet Muhammad, was marked by appeals for reconciliation and Source: O País stability in the country.

SECURITY

Mozambique LNG in the sights of Consequently, the government has global security firms already started taking steps “to upgrade the technological capacities and the The prospects of FIDs being taken for level of training of the police forces and Anadarko’s and ENI’s giant LNG armed forces, particularly the marines”, projects in the Rovuma Basin this year Simão said. has piqued the interests of several international security companies in But the success of the measures being Mozambique. While it is far from a high- taken will depend on how the support is risk country, the influx of investments integrated into a wider security plan. and people into the north could make it a target for future attacks. “The issue is you have a US$25 billion project in a remote part of the country, “The risk of terrorism is there and for the which is two hours by air from Maputo, time being it’s low, but it’s something with very little infrastructure to support it security companies and governments and which will be at risk because it’s are thinking about”, Leonardo Simão, close to a porous border with Tanzania”, Mozambique’s former foreign affairs Rob Andrew, East Africa head for Olive minister and now chairman of Group, told Interfax. Mozambican risk management firm Rhula Intelligent Solutions, told Interfax. During the course of the week 15 to 22 January, the United Arab Emirates- The scale of the LNG operations means based security company established a ENI and Anadarko will need joint venture in Mozambique with local commercial, technical and security partners Arkhe Risk Solutions and support from the authorities in Executive Logistics. Mozambique.

The huge onshore and offshore Any pipeline or transport infrastructure developments mean the projects could running from the LNG projects in the be at risk of attack from land or sea. north to the capital in the south would While Somali piracy has dropped off need to run through Renamo significantly since 2012, in 2011 there strongholds in the centre of the country. was an attack not far from the However, while clashes between Quirimbas archipelago in the north of Renamo and government forces in Mozambique. recent years have disrupted key transport routes, the group has never “If Somali pirates can move in skiffs all attacked Sasol’s gas pipeline, despite it the way down to northern Mozambique passing through traditional Renamo […] there’s no reason why an al-Shabab territory. or an ISIS team couldn’t follow exactly the same model in terms of having an “Renamo, like it or not, is a legal political attractive target that is attainable from party so they will have to abide by the the sea”, said Andrew. laws of the country. Sometimes they raise their voice and you have a crisis Future threats here and there, but this will never rise to a level of instability that will jeopardise However, it will be at least five years investment in the country. This country until Mozambique has any infrastructure is not prepared to allow that to happen”, worth targeting. And if the oil price said Simão. continues to fall, FIDs on the projects – now slated for Q3 2016 – are likely to be Closer to the project site, a failure to significantly delayed. integrate the economic and social interests of the local community into the This long lead time makes both the oil and gas development could also stir political motivation and the practical up resistance – but Simão hopes capabilities of potential attackers harder lessons have been learned from to assess. previous projects.

“The pace of change in the development “There was a lot of misunderstanding in of terrorism platforms (and measures to the past, particularly in Tete Province counter them) is almost certainly going when companies started coal mining, to mean we are looking at a quite but the lessons learned there are different picture by the time significant pointing to a different direction in Cabo infrastructure is in place”, said Nigel Delgado and [open dialogue with all Morgan, a director at Rhula. stakeholders] is now happening”, said Simão. Nevertheless, physical and technical security processes will need to be Given the range and uncertainty of established from the start of the project these threats, “the challenge is to and scaled up in the event of a security provide intelligence-led security threat. Mozambique’s main political planning that will provide a ‘cats’ eye in opposition, Renamo, is thought unlikely the dark’ to guide project development”, to pose a risk. Morgan said.

Key to this will be recruiting and training “I don’t have the slightest doubt”, he Mozambican nationals at all levels of the declared. “I am officially accusing the security sector – a cornerstone of Frelimo regime. It was Frelimo that government policy. orchestrated the shooting”.

This should not only help include local He went further and claimed that the communities in the development of the men who wounded Bissopo and killed projects, but also provide the local his bodyguard were the same men who knowledge crucial to help security assassinated constitutional lawyer Gilles planning respond to the changing social Cistac in Maputo in March 2015. and political climate. “They’re the same people. They left Maputo with this mission”, he said, Source: Interfax Global Energy without offering the slightest evidence for this sensational allegation. Dhlakama insists he will seize power in March “In March, we shall govern, as I have already announced”, Dhlakama said. Renamo leader, Afonso Dhlakama, has “None of these atrocities will make us claimed that last week’s attempted stop, because we know how to defend assassination of the Renamo Secretary- ourselves. We are organising ourselves General, Manuel Bissopo, was an for this. We shall govern the six attempt to persuade Renamo to provinces”. abandon its plans to seize power in six central and northern provinces as from “Renamo will govern”, he insisted. March. “What may happen is that, if they try something, we shall restore order. Even In a long interview published in the now we are working with our latest issue of the anti-government informants”. weekly Canal de Moçambique, Dhlakama declared that: “all this will Dhlakama claimed “high placed” finish”, and “Renamo will govern”. He members of Frelimo are on his side, and claimed “I am organising myself” to were encouraging him to seize power. seize power in his target provinces “A few days ago a well-placed member (Manica, Sofala, Tete, Zambézia, of Frelimo told me ‘it’s time that you Nampula and Niassa). organised your members to go after the governors and administrators and take Without offering any evidence, he them out one by one, just as they are claimed that the attack on Bissopo was doing with Renamo members’”. the work of the ruling Frelimo Party, and returned to his past allegations that Even the typically pliant Canal de Frelimo has repeatedly tried to Moçambique interviewer found this hard assassinate him. Since he was now in a to swallow. After all, Dhlakama has bush hideout in the central district of been living in a bush camp for the past Gorongosa (Sofala Province), “where two months, so he could only have they know it will not be easy to catch spoken to “well placed” Frelimo me, they targeted the person I left in members by phone, and the likelihood charge, who is the secretary-general”. of anyone in Frelimo ringing Dhlakama

up with suggestions that he order the that power has shifted to the north. But murder of provincial governors and [President] Nyusi himself knows it’s a district administrators is remote. lie”.

Therefore, the interviewer wanted to Dhlakama went even further, alleging know the name of this “well placed” that unnamed figures in Frelimo would person, and Dhlakama refused to tell assassinate President Nyusi, if he were him. But he said he turned down the to assert himself. suggestion “because I am a Christian and I don’t do these things. I am a “If he tries to be independent, if he tries human being and I give value to life, to escape from the hands of his mine and those of other people. I masters, he will be killed”, Dhlakama believe in the right to life, because I predicted. He claimed that he would believe in God”. meet the same fate as another Makonde politician, Rafael Maguni, who died in Dhlakama then embarked on an ethnic 2004. The problem with this is that conspiracy theory, claiming that all the Maguni, a former director of Rádio members of the riot police and the Moçambique and minister of armed forces (FADM) involved in information, was not assassinated, but clashes with the Renamo militia are died in a car accident in Maputo. Such southerners. “All the soldiers from the details, however, are never a problem centre and the north refuse to take part for conspiracy theorists, and so in plans to assassinate me”, he said. Dhlakama claimed the accident was “orchestrated”. “Maputo has become a colony which trains mercenaries and sends them to Preparations for seizing power in the six enslave the centre and the north”, he provinces “are going well”, Dhlakama declared. claimed. “I know some people say it’s just words, that Dhlakama makes Even the Canal de Moçambique announcements and then retreats. But reporter could spot the flaw in this this time it’s going to happen”. argument. The commander-in-chief of the defence and security forces, Source: Agencia de Informacao de President Filipe Nyusi, happens to be a Moçambique northerner, a member of the Makonde ethnic group, from Cabo Delgado Mozambique government “will Province. respond in kind” if Renamo continues attacks But Dhlakama has never allowed facts to overwhelm conspiracies. He claimed Renamo must stop attacking the FADM that President Nyusi has no power. or face retaliation, a senior Mozambican “Power is in the hands of individuals police officer said on Friday 29 January, from the south”, he claimed, without after clashes took place in central bothering to cite a single name. Mozambique over the preceding 24 “[President] Nyusi is just there to cut hours. ribbons. He was sent there to cover people’s eyes and make people believe

The reported clashes between armed about the military headquarters in media Renamo militias and government forces reports. in Zambézia Province on Thursday 28 January, caused no fatalities, according Tensions between the government and to João Mahunguele, chief of police in Renamo have been increasing in recent Zambézia Province. weeks, with Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama insisting that his party will However, Mahunguele told a press take power by force in six central and conference in the provincial capital of northern provinces in March or April. Quelimane on Friday morning, if Renamo does not end its attacks, Source: Zitamar News Mozambique’s security forces “will respond in kind”. Fearful Mozambicans flee as old foes clash: what the refugees in Malawi The only victim of Thursday’s clashes, told Reuters which took place at a place called Zero just off the EN1 highway south of When Mozambican troops hunting Morrumbala, was a policeman working opposition fighters attacked his village in the area of natural resource this week, 10-year-old Wit Messenger protection who is currently being treated turned and ran, leaving behind parents in hospital in Quelimane, Mahunguele he may never see again. said. Messenger is among thousands of According to a report in Notícias Mozambicans who have fled across the newspaper, the fighting lasted an hour border to refugee camps in Malawi in and a half and injured three forest the last month, saying Frelimo rangers who happened to be with the government forces are burning homes security forces when they were attacked and killing civilians in a campaign by Renamo gunmen. against Renamo guerrillas in an escalation of a simmering conflict Renamo spokesperson, António between old civil war foes. Muchanga, told reporters that he could not confirm if the attack had been Spokesmen for both Frelimo and carried out by Renamo. “I’m not the Renamo each told Reuters that the spokesperson of these attackers”, he other side was responsible for attacks said. “I can’t confirm, as I’m not familiar on their members in various parts of the with this matter”. country but would not give details about the violence that prompted the refugee Zero is 20 kilometres south of the village exodus. of Sabe where Renamo reportedly set up a military headquarters last year – The first Mozambicans arrived in the although when reporters visited Sabe in Malawian village of Kapise in June October, locals who had fled fighting 2015, but the UN refugee agency told us the base was at the village of (UNHCR) says the flow of migrants has Raposo. The head of Renamo’s branch rapidly increased this month and in Morrumbala said he had only heard predicts the number could rise from

3,500 now to 5,000 in coming days – “Government were asking where we more than it can currently handle. were hiding Renamo”, said Agness Chifundo, who walked for two days with More than half the refugees are children her seven children to reach Kapise. who walked for days from villages in “When they couldn’t find them they were Mozambique’s Tete Province with just burning houses and shooting. I saw five the clothes they were wearing. dead bodies and a woman was raped in front of me”. “I could see the houses burning up ahead, then I heard the gunshots and I Tete Province has large coal reserves ran”, said Messenger, waiting with but projects by companies such as hundreds of other children to be given Brazil’s Vale and mining giant Rio Tinto food in a sprawling hilltop camp of have failed in recent years due to low makeshift tarpaulin tents. prices, poor infrastructure and outbreaks of unrest. “I don’t know if my parents are alive or dead. I’m scared I will never see them Although the latest violence is far from again”, said Messenger – tearful, the vast offshore gas reserves being barefoot and wearing only a torn vest developed off northern Mozambique by and ragged shorts. ENI and Anadarko, the violence is likely to worry investors already spooked by a Security sources say Renamo fighters global slowdown. have been attacking police outposts in recent weeks near the Malawi border, Though the full details of the clashes in where they have public support, while Tete remain unclear and are likely to be Frelimo forces retaliate by torching disputed, there have been clear signs of villages where they believe rebels are growing unrest between Frelimo and hiding. Renamo.

Renamo started out as a guerrilla force Renamo leader, Afonso Dhlakama, has backed by neighbouring powers – the said that he will seize control of six white-minority government in what was northern provinces in March, declaring then Rhodesia and later by apartheid autonomy in areas where his party won South Africa – to counter the communist majorities in the 2014 elections. He has Frelimo movement. not explained how this would be done but experts believe it would be The latest violence has stirred memories unconstitutional. of a civil war fought between Renamo and Frelimo from 1976 to 1992 in which Frelimo won 57% of the 2014 vote a million people died and a further against 37% for Renamo. Renamo million fled to Malawi. disputes the result and says Frelimo is to blame for the violence. Both sides say Some of the Mozambicans in Kapise they are democrats but also resort to told Reuters that they had hidden violence which they are unwilling to Renamo fighters because they felt they acknowledge. had no choice.

Dhlakama has been in hiding since already facing sanitation problems and October 2015, following an there are fears of a possible cholera assassination attempt he says was outbreak. ordered by Frelimo, although the ruling party denies this. ”We don’t want to live like this but we cannot go back”, Mozambican maize Renamo’s Secretary-General, Manuel farmer Robert Keness told Reuters, Bissopo, was shot and wounded on pointing to pit latrines near tents packed Wednesday 20 January, hours after he with small children. accused security forces of killing members of his party. Frelimo says it “We fear war at home”. was not behind the attack, in which Bissopo’s bodyguard was killed. Source: Reuters

The police presence in Maputo has Government dispatches delegation to increased in recent days with officers Malawi to assess refugees occasionally stationed outside The government of the western province Renamo’s office there. of Tete plans to send a team to Malawi President Filipe Nyusi says he wants to in the next few days to assess the engage in peaceful negotiations with needs of more than 3,000 Mozambicans Renamo; but Dhlakama has said this is who have fled across the border to disingenuous considering attacks on his escape clashes between Renamo members. gunmen and the Mozambican defence and security forces. Few think Renamo has the capacity or desire to begin another all-out conflict According to the permanent secretary of but there is a high risk of more violence, the provincial government, Lina security experts say. Portugal, the delegation will include the Tete provincial director of immigration, “We’ve got a security problem brewing”, and officials from Tsanano and Moatize one Maputo-based Western diplomat districts, where the refugees come from. told Reuters. “We’re seeing hits on senior officials and from what we’re “Within a matter of days, we shall send hearing the situation in Tete is bad. a team which will work with the These refugees didn’t up and leave for Malawian government and with our no reason”. colleagues in the Mozambican consulate, so that we can obtain real The refugee influx is putting strain on information in the accommodation Malawi’s stretched resources at a time centres, and question people to find out when one of the worst droughts in its what they need, so that we can support history means 2.8 million people are them”, she said. expected to go hungry. This survey, Portugal added, will also Malawi has allocated Mozambicans help the team ascertain why the some land in Kapise but it will not be refugees abandoned their homes, and enough. The UNHCR say the camps are

whether the conditions exist for them to Maputo to assist the Beira police in return to Mozambique. investigating the crime.

“As a government, what we want is to On Thursday 21 January, the Beira gauge the reality on the ground, to see police admitted that the only evidence how we can intervene to support the they were able to recover from the crime refugees”, said Portugal. scene were three spent cartridges from an AK-47 assault rifle. Currently the refugees are living in three accommodation centres in southern Khálau also warned that the defence Malawi, and are said to be desperately and security forces will not tolerate any short of basic requirements for their attempt by Renamo to seize control of survival. parts of northern and central Mozambique. Renamo leader, Afonso Instability in Tsangano dates back to 2 Dhlakama, has repeatedly threatened to April 2014, when Renamo gunmen install his own government in the ambushed a unit of the defence forces provinces of Manica, Sofala, Tete, in the Chibaene locality, when they were Zambézia, Nampula and Niassa. returning to the district capital after a patrol. But Khálau insisted that the police will not allow anyone to “govern by force”. From Chibaene, the Renamo militia extended its action to Nkondezi locality Dhlakama’s first reactions to the in the neighbouring district of Moatize, shooting of Bissopo came in a setting up a military base in the area of telephone interview with the Portuguese Ndande. news agency Lusa, in which he accused “the Frelimo regime” of being behind the Source: Agencia de Informacao de attack. Frelimo “has become a terrorist Moçambique party, in a terrorist state”, he claimed.

PRM promise commission of inquiry Dhlakama said that the shooting could as Renamo evacuates wounded worsen the current political tensions, but Secretary-General to South Africa once again he promised not to return to war. “I can believe that the situation may On Friday 22 January, the General deteriorate, but there is no war”. Commander of the Police of the Therefore, Dhlakama promises on the Republic of Mozambique (PRM), Jorge one hand to seize power in six Khálau, announced the establishment of provinces, but on the other claims this a commission of inquiry into will be done without resorting to war. Wednesday’s attack in Beira (Sofala Province), which seriously injured the There are other theories as to the attack Renamo Secretary-General, Manuel against Bissopo. Frelimo militant and Bissopo, and killed his bodyguard. former security minister Mariano Matsinhe told reporters that he believed Khálau described the attack on Bissopo the shooting was the work of other as “macabre”, and said that a people within Renamo. Given the long commission was being sent from history of internecine battles inside

Renamo this is not altogether Dhlakama], saying that in March he is implausible – but neither Matsinhe nor going to govern by force”. Dhlakama offered any evidence for their conflicting theories. Nonetheless, “at certain intervals”, Dhlakama had left “room for dialogue”, On Friday, Bissopo was flown to South and had even proposed other mediators Africa in a plane chartered by Renamo. (the Catholic Church and South African The private clinic that cared for him in President Jacob Zuma). But do Rosário Beira was unable to remove a bullet feared that, with the attack on Bissopo, lodged in Bissopo’s body, and Renamo this slight opening might close “and refused to transfer their secretary- positions will be radicalised still further”. general to the one place in Beira that could handle such a delicate procedure, According to do Rosário, acts such as the state-run Beira Central Hospital. the Wednesday attack illustrate the According to Renamo, the managers of possibility that “there are forces who are the Beira Central Hospital are linked to not interested in the pacification of the the ruling Frelimo Party, and this would country”. be a reason “for them to kill our secretary-general”. Source: Agencia de Informacao de Moçambique However, doctors in the private clinic know very well that their colleagues in Key witness to his attempted murder: the Beira Central Hospital do not carry PRM wants to speak to Bissopo “as out political assassinations. They soon as possible” attempted to persuade Renamo and On Tuesday 26 January, the PRM said Bissopo’s family to have him moved to that they possess leads that can help the hospital. Such pleas were in vain, them track down those involved in the and Renamo instead opted to fly attempted murder of Renamo’s Bissopo to South Africa where he is now Secretary-General, Manuel Bissopo. in the hands of a private facility. Bissopo was attacked on Wednesday One Renamo spokesperson told 20 January, in broad daylight, in the reporters that: “the bullet can’t be heart of the central city of Beira (Sofala moved, otherwise he will die”. Province). The assailants shot at the car In the meantime, prominent academic he was driving, killing his bodyguard, Lourenço do Rosário – one of the men and seriously injuring Bissopo. He was who mediated in the now suspended evacuated to South Africa, where he dialogue between Renamo and the remains under medical care, with a government – told reporters he feared bullet lodged near his aorta. the attack on Bissopo could worsen At his weekly press briefing, the political tensions even further. spokesperson for the general command “Over recent months there has been a of the PRM, Inácio Dina, said that the series of ruptures”, said do Rosário, police already knew that the weapon “with the radicalisation of the positions used in the crime was an AK-47 assault of the Renamo leader [Afonso rifle, “and we are seeking to find out the

type of vehicles used in the attack, and to the order and tranquillity of the the number of people they were country”, said Khálau. carrying. This information, provided by eye-witnesses, will lead us to the Khálau also pointed out that organised authors of the crime”. crime was behind last Wednesday’s attack on the Secretary-General of According to Dina, the police team Renamo, Manuel Bissopo in Sofala investigating the attack, “has leads Province. which can help us solve this crime, and in due time we shall provide information Source: Folha de Maputo about the specific steps that have been taken and the indications we have that CPLP “worries” about Mozambique, will lead to neutralising those holds Renamo responsible for responsible”. instability

But the key witness is Bissopo himself. On Monday 25 January, the Executive Dina said the police are hoping to speak Secretary of the Community of to him as soon as possible. However, it Portuguese Language Countries is not clear when he will be able to leave (CPLP), Murade Murargy, said that he is the South African clinic where he is “worried” by the new politico-military currently being treated. crisis in Mozambique. In addition, Murargy blames Renamo for the current Source: Agencia de Informacao de instability in the country. Moçambique However, Murargy also expressed hope Khálau says Dhlakama’s video that the Mozambican government and conferences create instability and the opposition could sit down at a table that organised crime is behind together in the search for a peaceful Bissopo’s shooting solution.

The General Commander of the PRM, “It is a situation that worries me, but I Jorge Khálau, has condemned the am confident that the Mozambican activities of armed Renamo soldiers. He government and the opposition itself will says that they are creating a climate of find a way to get along. It could take insecurity in the central region of the time, but I believe it”, Murargy said on country. the side-lines of the opening session of a Focus on Child Labour seminar, which In addition, Khálau condemned the closed on Wednesday 27 January. attitude and behaviour of the Renamo leader, Afonso Dhlakama, during “Whenever elections happen, conference calls, whose statements immediately afterwards you often have a “make it impossible to keep peace and period of instability. It is certain that this order”, he said. period has lasted for almost a year. We are still within a period where Renamo “These statements made during the disputes the results”, he said. video/telephone conferences concern us; their main aim is to create instability

For Murargy, who will visit Mozambique police will not tolerate this sort of act. All in March in his capacity as executive those who attack state security will be secretary of the CPLP, the post-election detained”. instability arose despite the fact that Renamo participated in the monitoring Mourinho said that so far the Lapala of the elections. case was an isolated incident – but the police had information that suggests that “They never accepted the election throughout the province ceremonies are results. We are in this challenging being prepared “to set up a government period. Unfortunately, this time it that doesn’t exist”. resulted in some military actions, which I hope will not end up in a more serious “They say they are presenting their confrontation. Let’s wait and see”. regulos, and later they will appoint heads of administrative posts, district Source: Lusa administrators and provincial governors”, he added. “This is an attack Four suspected Renamo members against public order and against the arrested in Nampula Constitution”.

On Monday 25 January, the Nampula The independent newssheet Mediafax PRM announced the arrest of four named the would-be regulos as: A. Renamo members who were illicitly Mulukh, A. Khurela, A. Avukulu and T. sworn in as “regulos” (traditional chiefs) Anacleto. in the northern province of Nampula. The interim Renamo provincial delegate According to the spokesperson for the Abiba Aba confirmed the arrests, but Nampula provincial police command, said she did not know why these Sergio Mourinho, the four were sworn in Renamo members had been detained. and presented publicly as chiefs by the She added that Renamo is contacting local Renamo political delegate in the the authorities for an explanation of the small town of Lapala in Ribáuè district. arrests. The Renamo delegate was also arrested. Source: @Verdade/TVM/Agencia de Informacao de Moçambique This was part of Renamo’s drive to seize power in six northern provinces – 9,000 pupils deprived of education in including Nampula – and Mourinho Morrumbala warned that similar ceremonies anywhere else in the province would not Over 9,000 primary school pupils may be tolerated. He accused the Renamo be unable to continue their studies this delegate of “incitement to violence and year in Morrumbala district (Zambézia disturbance of public order”. Province), as a result of the insecurity caused by clashes between Renamo “In this country, there is only one gunmen and the defence and security government, which emerged from the forces. elections of October 2014”, he said. “We don’t have parallel governments and the

According to Mahomed Ibrahimo, In the meantime, on Thursday 28 spokesperson for the Provincial January, unconfirmed reports suggested Directorate of Education, these pupils that two Morrumbala community live in the Sabe locality. This is the area leaders, nominated under the where, in 2015, Renamo allegedly governance of Renamo, were arrested established a new military base which it for inciting violence. called a “general staff headquarters”. Source: Agencia de Informacao de According to Ibrahimo, the instability in Moçambique/@Verdade Sabe could also compromise the distribution of free school text books for Police gather for meeting on cross- the pupils and manuals for the teachers. border organised crime

Ibrahimo said that classes in the On Thursday 28 January, dozens of affected schools can only resume when police experts from the SADC region security is re-established. Under current gathered in Maputo to attend the conditions neither the teachers, nor the Extraordinary Meeting of the Southern pupils and their families wish to remain African Regional Police Chiefs Co- in Sabe. operation Organisation (SARPCCO).

The problem began last year, when the The purpose of this meeting is to establishment of Renamo’s new base discuss and implement strategies aimed effectively shut down education in Sabe. at combating cross-border organised The insecurity led residents of Sabe to crime. seek refuge in other parts of Morrumbala. This includes the 170 Among the major crimes that plague teachers at Sabe schools, who have SADC countries are: kidnapping, drug sought safety with relatives in the district trafficking, human trafficking and luxury capital or in neighbouring districts. car theft.

1,200 pupils in Sabe, who were During the opening ceremony, the completing seventh grade at the time, Deputy Commander of the PRM, were supposed to sit exams but the General Jose Weng San, defended the need for continuous information sharing military clashes made this impossible. between SADC countries. San During the course of the week 15 to 22 emphasised the need for police January, the Minister of the Interior, readiness in order to ensure security Jaime Monteiro, visited Zambézia, and public tranquillity. Incidentally, in including the Sabe locality, and warned this respect, San stressed that crime that the defence and security forces will rates in Mozambique have declined ever not tolerate further disturbances of order so slightly. and security. Source: O País

CRIME

MAP 1: KIDNAPPING INCIDENTS IN CENTRAL MAPUTO 2014 – 2016

GRAPH 2: REPORTED KIDNAPPINGS PER YEAR

35 31 30 30

25 20 20 14 15

5 1 0 2011/2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

GRAPH 3: TIME OF KIDNAPPINGS 2014 - 2016

0 00:01 - 04:00 04:01 - 08:00 08:01 - 12:00 12:01 - 16:00 16:01 - 20:00 20:01 - 00:00

Note: This graph excludes kidnappings in which the time of the kidnapping was not reported

GRAPH 4: KIDNAPPINGS PER GENDER / AGE-GROUP 2014 - 2016

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 <18 19-36 37-54 55-72 >73 Male Female

Note: This graph excludes kidnappings in which either the gender or age of the victim was not reported

*Please note: the data present in the graphs and maps is not 100% accurate owing to the high number of unreported cases and irregularities in the documentation of these events. This graph illustrates the successful kidnapping incidents ONLY and not attempted/aborted/intercepted kidnapping

Albinos in Tete call for protection abduction of two children in Nhamatanda district (Sofala Province). On Saturday 23 January, the Association of Albinos (Associação dos According to reports, the two children Albinos), in collaboration with were accosted by four men. The young Mozambique’s National Human Rights children called for help and the PRM Pressure Group, promoted a march in arrived on the scene and arrested the the city of Tete in protest against the men (identified as F. João, C. Santos, abduction and murder of people with Daniel Artur and Samuel Benjamim – all albinism. The Association of Albinos aged between 21 and 45). also called for greater protection for those with albinism. During police interrogation, the four would-be abductors admitted that they The cry for help comes after three intended to sell the two children to an albinos were kidnapped from the unidentified buyer. districts of Moatize and Angónia in January 2016, and another was According to initial investigations, F. kidnapped from Marara district in João appears to be the ringleader of the December 2015. gang.

The protesters marched through the The four men have been charged with streets of Tete and converged at the crimes relating to human trafficking. Independence Square, where they were addressed by various personalities, Source: Folha de Maputo/Jornal Notícias including the provincial director of PRM identify gunmen involved in Education and Human Development, Michael Tatakas shooting Palmira Palma Pinto, who represented Governor Paulo Auade. The PRM have announced that they have identified the men who attacked According to reports, Catherine Arthur, 64-year-old Michael Tatakas near the co-ordinator of the National Human Belita area, Alto Maé (in Maputo), on Rights Pressure Group, said that similar Thursday 21 January. marches also took place in the cities of Beira (Sofala Province) and Chimoio PRM spokesperson, Orlando (Manica Province). Pinto assured that Mudumane, said that the gunmen were the government was taking the people close to the Greek customs necessary actions to wipe out the broker, and the police were already on masterminds of these crimes. their tail. Source: Folha de Maputo/APA Despite earlier reports which claimed PRM abort attempted abduction in that Tatakas had been killed in the Sofala attack, it has been confirmed that he is in fact alive and receiving medical During the course of the week 15 to 22 attention at an unnamed hospital. January, the PRM aborted an attempted Source: Folha de Maputo

Fake sneakers worth over ZAR23 about to be fraudulently exported to million seized India.

On Tuesday 19 January, the South Vicente Marcos, head of public relations African Revenue Service (SARS) at Mozambique’s Tax Authority North, intercepted a truck carrying said that the owner of the goods, a approximately 30,000 pairs of fake Mozambican national, had declared that sneakers worth over ZAR23 million at the boxes contained beans, which do the Lebombo Border Post in not attract and export surcharge. Mpumalanga. “The seized goods are valued at According to SARS the truck was MT40,547,790. The surcharge payable travelling from Mozambique into South to the state amounts to MT7,298,602. It Africa when the two drivers were asked is particularly unfortunate that it was a to open the vehicle for inspection by Mozambican national who was caught border control customs. trying to practice tax evasion”, said Marcos. The routine check unveiled a large quantity of white plastic bags which According to Notícias, typical Customs contained counterfeit shoes, including Court procedures are being followed for the following: 39 pairs of Vans sneakers, the payment of the taxes due and the eight pairs of Puma sneakers, 389 pairs reversal of goods to the state. of Jordan sneakers, 20,164 pairs of Adidas sneakers, 3,627 pairs of Nike Marcos added that the seizure was the sneakers and 5,077 pairs of All Star result of routine surveillance activities sneakers. developed by teams specifically created by the institution for this purpose, and “SARS Customs detained the truck and that his institution would continue to goods for an authenticating process develop enforcement procedures to through relevant brand holders. The deter entrepreneurs and others from tax Mozambican drivers were issued with evasion in the export and import of the relevant documentations”, said goods. SARS At the official opening of this cashew nut The South African Police Service is marketing year, the director of the looking into the matter. National Institute of Cashew Development (INCAJU), Filomena Source: The Citizen Muaiopué, had emphasised that the government would be making special Customs seize 589 tons of raw efforts to ensure that all the cashew nuts cashew in Nacala produced in the country are processed locally. According to reports, customs officials in Nacala (Nampula Province) seized 38 “Today we have many cashew nut containers (approximately 40-feet in processing plants. We do not want our length) loaded with a total of 589 tons of nuts exported raw, and we have unprocessed cashew nuts that were established facilities in all production

areas of our country to process them thieves and rapists are arrested, only to and create jobs for our citizens”, be released two or three days later. Muaiopué said. The locals are angered by the current Source: Notícias crime situation in the area, which is characterised by home and business Two minors raped in Maputo robberies and physical assaults. To make matters worse, the residents During the course of the week 15 to 22 complain that cases rarely go to court. January, two minors were raped in two separate incidences in Boane district Such accusations are common in (Maputo Province). Mozambique and, according to some, reflect lack of public awareness of the In the first incident, a seven-year-old girl laws governing preventive detention. was raped in broad daylight after she The police cannot hold suspected was lured onto the property of her rapist criminals in detention indefinitely, but under the pretence of free food. must bring the suspect before a magistrate within 48 hours to validate In the second incident, a 13-year-old the detention. mentally handicapped girl was approached by her attacker at Convinced that the police were bribed approximately 20:00hrs and forcefully by criminals, Palmeiras residents staged taken to a secluded area where the rape a demonstration and erected barricades took place. of burning tyres on the main north-south highway, which runs through the town. The two suspects, aged between 25 and 30, were later apprehended by the The local police called for locals and handed over to the police. reinforcements from Maputo, and in the One of the detainees has confessed to ensuing clashes a 20-year-old protestor the crime, while the other insists that he was shot dead. Speaking to reporters on has been wrongfully arrested. Tuesday 26 January, the spokesperson for the General Command of the police, Source: O País Inácio Dina, justified the police Police justify the use of live intervention, including the use of live ammunition ammunition, on the grounds that the protesters had blocked traffic along a The PRM have justified the use of live road that is vital for the country’s ammunition during a demonstration in economy. the town of Palmeiras, Manhica district (Maputo Province), “The police have the duty to prevent this type of action”, he said, “and so they The demonstration took place on Friday used force that was deemed 22 January, against the alleged proportional under these complicity of the police with criminals. circumstances”. People in Palmeiras claimed that Dina claimed the police only opened fire after attempts to persuade the

demonstrators to disperse proved Opinion on lynching divides the fruitless. “This is not the first case of population and the PRM violent demonstrations”, he said, “and we are working with the local On Saturday 23 January, the population leaderships to avoid further situations of of Manga, in the city of Beira (Sofala this sort in future”. Province), vowed to take the law into their own hands in situations where the He insisted that the police had not justice department fail to keep criminals intended to kill anybody – however, the locked away. brother of the man who was killed told the independent television station STV Speaking at a meeting between the that he believed he was deliberately police and the community, led by the targeted and shot twice, once in the face provincial commander of the PRM, and once in the throat. Alfredo Mussa, the locals argued that criminals continue to engage in illegal Source: Agencia de Informacao de activities because the police do not Moçambique/O País/@Verdade/Jornal display the ability to control the situation. Notícias “If we continue to see bandits, who Woman on the run after murdering yesterday were arrested and today are husband in Nampula free, the only option is to lynch them. If the police do not want these thieves to On the night of Friday 22 January, 30- be killed, they should keep them where year-old Nelson Domingos was they belong – in jail”, said Francisca allegedly murdered by his wife in the in Viegas, who was met with loud Natikiri neighbourhood in the city of applause. Nampula. The locals acknowledged that many of According to residents, the victim and these criminals are their own children his wife got into an argument on the and said that they are well aware of the evening of the murder. On Saturday procedures put in place to report morning the neighbours went to criminal activity to the PRM. However, investigate, at which point they they do not see the point of turning discovered Domingos’ body. these criminals in to the police if they are released the very next day. According to the PRM, Domingos was beaten to death by his wife. Evidence They argue that, under the supervision suggest that he was repeatedly struck of the PRM, crime continues unabated on the head and genitals, culminating in in their community and they continue to his death. be victimised by their own children. The locals acknowledged that many of those The victim’s wife is believed to have fled who had been lynched were innocent, shortly after committing the murder and but they argue that desperate times call her whereabouts remain unknown. for desperate measures, especially Source: @Verdade since lynching is the only way to deter the thieves.

Another citizen, who identified himself chase continued for approximately 500 as José Manuel, blamed “weak policing” meters when the Toyota Prado became for the current situation as the criminals stuck in the sand along the side of the continue to go unpunished for their road. actions. The driver of the Prado attempted to flee According to Manuel, the criminals are by foot, however, the assailants opened more organised then the police. He cited fire, wounding the victim. The driver as an example, an incident that returned to his vehicle and begged the occurred recently in the area where the shooters for mercy. community had apprehended a known criminal and had intended to hand him Eyewitnesses report that the shooters over to the police. However, before they demanded money from the driver. When could do so, a gang of 10 thugs armed the man said that he had no money on with machetes rescued the suspect from him, the gang opened fire, killing the the community. Manuel argues that if driver. they had just lynched the criminal there and then, they would have had one less Conflicting reports suggest that the offender to worry about. assailants were transported in two cars (not four). Manuel acknowledged that lynching goes against the Church, but he The PRM speculate that the murder maintains that there is nothing else they might be related to a feud between two can do to stop these men from raping criminal gangs. and murdering their wives and children. No arrests have been made as of yet. In response, Mussa urged the community to stop lynching suspects, Source: O País/@Verdade/Folha de Maputo and assured the population that efforts are being made to strengthen the Corpse discovered in Nampula response of the PRM. On Tuesday 26 January, the Criminal Source: Jornal Notícias Investigation Police (PIC) discovered the body of a middle-aged unidentified Unknown male shot and killed after male. The body had been abandoned car chase in Maputo along Avenida Eduardo Mondlane, in On the morning of Monday 25 January, the city of Nampula. an unidentified male was shot and killed The corpse was discovered near the in the Albasine/Chiango area of Maputo Frutas de África building site, in the Province. Muhala-Beleneses neighbourhood. According to eyewitnesses, the Based on initial investigations, the PIC deceased was driving in a Toyota Prado believe that the victim was murdered. when four smaller vehicles, occupied by The PIC cordoned off the area while an unknown number of men armed with they combed the scene for evidence. various firearms, gave chase. The car

When a citizen claiming to be a family their anger on the police vehicle, member of the deceased attempted to resulting in minor damages. enter the crime scene, allegedly with the intention of identifying the body, he was A few suspects were arrested for the physically assaulted by the PIC unit. incident.

Source: @Verdade Source: Folha de Maputo

Two robbers narrowly escape 19-year-old arrested for neonaticide lynching in Maputo A 19-year-old woman has been arrested On Wednesday 27 January, two men in Chimoio (Manica Province) and were caught red handed robbing a local charged with killing her new-born residence in the Ferroviário daughter and dumping the body in a neighbourhood, on the outskirts of garbage can. Maputo Province. Neighbours discovered the baby’s The two men were severely beaten by a decomposing body in a nearby dustbin vigilante mob who were allegedly and reported it to the police. The body preparing to lynch the men. However, was wrapped in swaddling clothes and the robbers were rescued just in time by concealed in a bag. The arms, legs and the local PRM. rib cage had been eaten by stray dogs.

According to the police, the men are According to the detainee, the baby was repeat offenders and will remain in stillborn and as such, she discarded it in custody for the time being. the trash.

Source: Folha de Maputo In another case, a 19-year-old was arrested in the Morrumbene district Man lynched in Tete for “preventing (Inhambane Province) for deliberately rainfall” stuffing her three-month-old son into a latrine. The young baby was rescued On Wednesday 27 January, an three hours later and handed over to the unidentified man was lynched to death PRM. by an angry mob in the district of Tsengo (in Tete Province). According to According to the detainee, she tried to reports, the mob accused the man of kill her child because her partner had using witchcraft to bring about the rejected them both, denying that he was current drought. the father of the child.

Two police officers contracted serious The young mother subsequently injuries while attempting to rescue the approached her family for help raising man from the lynch mob. During the the child, but they also rejected her attack, one of the officers fired live appeal. rounds into the air, angering the mob further. The mob subsequently turned

The detainee then decided to visit her employers, trade union bodies and the grandmother, where she discarded of public at large “to denounce any illicit the baby in the latrine. acts committed by labour inspectors”.

The baby is currently receiving medical Source: Agencia de Informacao de attention at the District Hospital of Moçambique Morrumbene, he will be handed over to social services at a later stage. Mozambican recruitment company launches anti-corruption campaign Source: @Verdade Recruitment company CONTACT has Labour inspectors detained for launched an Anti-Corruption Campaign extortion in order to warn job candidates and the general public against situations where The PIC recently detained two labour money is requested in exchange for a inspectors in Nampula Province, who job vacancy. were caught in the act of extortion. With the motto “Vaga Não Se Paga” A press release from the Labour (Vacancies Are Not Paid For) Ministry named the two men as Carlos CONTACT plans to encourage people Uitresse and Herminio dos Santos to report irregularities that have been Nicolau. brought to their attention and to raise awareness of how to act when faced The two detainees were arrested while with such situations. in the process of receiving money in exchange for favours – they had The campaign clearly states: In demanded a bribe for turning a blind eye CONTACT, as required by law, no to the violation of the labour legislation published job opportunity entails any by a private college, the Northern cost for applicants. Mozambique International School. This campaign stems from the need to They had made arrangements to raise awareness of the rights of receive the money at the school, but candidates for job openings and to when they arrived the police were encourage the public to protect their waiting, and immediately arrested them. interests by exposing such irregularities They will now face both disciplinary and as requests for payment in exchange for criminal proceedings. a job vacancy. In addition, the campaign details how to report these irregularities According to the release, the Nampula through the appropriate channels. Provincial Labour Directorate is following the case closely, and urges all Source: Notícias

WILDLIFE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Time running out for South African Government is also preparing to outline government on rhino horn trade its stance on the matter at the upcoming conference. The South African government is in a race against time to pronounce its Spokesperson for the Department of stance on the legalisation of rhino horn Environmental Affairs, Albi Modise says, trade. “The inter-ministerial committee will soon meet to consider the report of the The deadline for proposals for the 17th committee”. Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered “They will engage with that particular Species of Wild Fauna and Flora report and will formulate a process as (CITES) is set for April this year. well as recommendations for Cabinet’s approval … the committee was South Africa, as this year’s conference entrusted with the responsibility of host, faces the largest recorded rhino engaging with a number of stakeholders poaching incidents worldwide. across the country to look at all the pros and cons, and to listen to all sides and A total of 1,175 rhino were poached in to subsequently compile a report for the 2015. inter-ministrerial committee.”

World rhino populations have been at Private rhino breeder, John Hume, has risk since the early 1960s due to rising rhino horn stockpiles of over 4,000 incidents of poaching and the increased kilograms and has invested over a demand for rhino horn in Asia. billion rand in housing and protecting over 1,200 rhino. He is spear-heading With approximately 75% of the world’s the battle for the legal trade in rhino rhino population, South Africa moved to horn. ban trade in rhino horn in 2009. “We only went to court because the This came as poaching levels escalated government said ‘go away we are not and many feared that local trade was going to lift the moratorium’. We believe delivering poached horns to we should be working with the international trafficking networks. government towards persuading people who are going to vote at CITES that However, recent opposition to the ban South Africa can look after its rhino, it and government’s insistence on can breed more rhino but we need to upholding it, have left much speculation reward the people, hopefully the ahead of the CITES conference. communities who breed rhino. We need The South African government faces a to reward the people who breed rhino”. mammoth task petitioning the Supreme Rhino horn is more expensive than Court of Appeal to overturn the rhino platinum and gold. It is anticipated that horn moratorium judgment passed by trade in rhino horn will bring in huge the Pretoria High Court.

foreign income, significant profits for Ban on plastic bags comes into force farmers and greater job creation. next Friday

Chair of the Private Rhino Owners On Wednesday 27 January, the Association, Pelham Jones says, “We Environment Ministry reiterated that the have to look at economic yields to allow new regulations banning the use of South Africa to have a successful flimsy plastic bags will come into force application to CITES in 2016 allowing on Friday 5 February, in accordance for legalised trade. We in South Africa, with a law passed in August 2015. together with our neighbours in Namibia, Zimbabwe and going up North, Uganda, The Ministry of Land, Environment and Tanzania, Kenya, all those countries Rural Affairs has set up a ‘multi-sectoral have substantive stock piles of rhino inspection team’ to ensure compliance horn”. with the law throughout the country. The law bans the free distribution of plastic International trade in rhino horn was bags by supermarkets, shops or any banned by CITES in the 1970s. other sale points. The staff must now ask consumers whether they want The CITES Secretariat in Geneva plastic bags, and if they do, they must (Switzerland) David Morgan says, “At charge for them. The law aims to the moment South Africa and Swaziland eliminate disposable plastic bags from are allowed to export hunting trophies of the country and reduce the consumption rhino and also light specimens of rhino of thicker, re-usable bags. to acceptable destinations but there is no general trade in rhino horn allowed at Any violators will be subject to heavy the moment; now next September that fines. Therefore, any shop that gives might or might not change depending on plastic bags away rather than selling how the parties vote”. them will be fined 25 times the monthly statutory minimum wage (approximately According to CITES, a country that MT80,000 or US$1,775 at current seeks to motivate the trade in rhino horn exchange rates). will need to present supporting documents justifying their decision. Selling plastic bags will carry a fine of 50 times the monthly minimum wage This will be in terms of the impacts on (approximately MT160,000, or the conservation of the species and the US$3,550), while using plastic bags with likely trade that will be permitted. over 40% recycled material to hold food will cost the establishment concerned 60 The wildlife conservation regulator says times the minimum wage. it will require the vote of a two-thirds majority of the 181 CITES member The manufacture of bags from plastic countries for the international ban to be thinner than 30 micrometres carries a lifted. fine of 40 times the monthly minimum wage, according to the law. The import Source: SABC News of such bags will attract a fine of 80 times the minimum wage –

approximately US$5,680 at current wholesalers and retailers to declare their exchange rates. stashes of banned plastic bags for the Ministry to destroy. The fines are expected to go up at the end of March when a new minimum The one exception on bags less than wage is set by government, business 30µm thick is for bags destined for and trade unions. As a guide, consumer rubbish disposal. Manufacturers in price inflation was a little over 10% in economic free zones – or ‘Zonas Mozambique in 2015. Francas’ – are also allowed to keep manufacturing them for export only. The Ministry is now calling on plastic bag manufacturers, importers, Source: Zitamar News

NOTICE

In order to support the campaign to save the Rhino please support the FOCUS-AFRICA Foundation by liking the FOCUS-AFRICA Foundation Facebook Page at: Focus-Africa Foundation as well the FOCUS-AFRICA Foundation Website at www.focus-africa.org

The Focus-Africa Foundation is solely dedicated to the support of the Joaquim Chissano Foundation Mozambique Wildlife Preservation Initiative and the re-introduction of the rhino to Mozambique (extinct in this country since 2013)

OTHER

Deputy Health Minister visits Maputo Even worse, the owners ignore the slaughterhouse recommendation that the animals, once killed, should remain in a cold storage Meat consumed in the greater Maputo facility for at least 24 hours before being area is transported to and from the transported to the place of sale. municipal slaughterhouse in unhygienic Although the slaughterhouse has cold conditions which the Health Ministry storage facilities, the owners of the wants to see improved. cattle do not use them. Instead they take the meat for sale as soon as it has Deputy Health Minister Mouzinho Saíde been processed. conducted a surprise visit to the slaughterhouse on Friday 22 January, Deputy Minister Saíde promised that the and deplored the transport conditions. Health Ministry will work with the Most of the farmers who take their cattle Veterinary Services and with the Maputo to the slaughterhouse do so in open Municipal Council to ensure that all vehicles, exposing the animals to heat public health measures for the and to dust. slaughterhouse are complied with.

Deputy Minister Saíde also wanted premises. He said the animals from tighter measures against the falsification peasant livestock farmers arrive very of the stamp which the municipal thin, which compromises the quality of slaughterhouse puts on all meat it has the meat. processed and inspected. This, he believed, would end the proliferation of The situation is much better with uninspected and potentially dangerous commercial cattle ranchers, who bring meat, which might transmit diseases, animals which are well fed and weigh up such as bovine tuberculosis. to 450 kilograms.

“We were informed that there may be Soeiro also warned that farmers pay far falsification of the identification of too little for the use of the animals inspected here”, said the deputy slaughterhouse. The current fee is only minister. “The veterinary services have MT5 (approximately US$0.11) per an identification process via a stamp kilogram of meat. Two years ago a used on inspected meat, but this may be study warned that the business would falsified in the places where meat is only be profitable with a fee of MT13 per sold”. kilogram.

Deputy Minister Saíde said that anyone At the time of the study the fee was only who sells meat has a duty to ensure that MT3. It was increased by two thirds, but it has been inspected and is free of this still remained what Soeiro called “a disease. social fee”, which did not meet the real costs of the slaughterhouse. He found that the slaughterhouse, which dates back to the 1930s, handles about Soeiro added that any diseased animals 50 head of cattle a day, and generally are destroyed, so that their meat cannot observes all the international norms be sold, and their owners are informed governing slaughterhouses, including of the problem. ensuring that the animals do not suffer unnecessarily. Source: Agencia de Informacao de Moçambique “This is a modernised process, which Mozambique raises LGBT Rights obeys international standards”, said the deputy minister. The slaughterhouse When Mozambique’s human rights had a good health record, with no cases record was reviewed before the UN’s of bovine tuberculosis recorded. Human Rights Council in Geneva during Internationally, it is thought that around the course of the week 18 to 25 10% of cases of human tuberculosis January, the government’s derive from bovine tuberculosis. inconsistency on homosexuality was in Carlos Soeiro, the manager of Soeiro full view. Comercial, the company to which the The Mozambique government was Municipal Council has leased the rightly praised for decriminalising slaughterhouse, told the deputy minister homosexuality last year. In Africa, such that he was concerned with the bold actions on lesbian, gay, bisexual, condition of the cattle brought to the

and transgender (LGBT) rights are far “urgency” and “pertinence” before being too rare. registered as an association. Usually the registration process of an association Lambda, Mozambique’s biggest LGBT takes no more than six weeks. group, celebrated the decision and hoped it would end the uncertainty Mozambique enjoys a reputation for surrounding the group’s legal status. For relatively relaxed social attitudes nearly eight years, Lambda has been towards LGBT people. This is as it waiting for a response from the Ministry should be. Having taken the decision to of Justice on its application for legal decriminalise homosexuality the registration. The group provides government should now end the counselling, health services and legal unjustified interference with the right to assistance to its members, but without freedom of association for LGBT people. official registration it cannot access It’s time for the government’s half- funding and tax exemptions. hearted commitment to respect LGBT rights to become complete. Even now, over six months after the decriminalisation of homosexuality, Source: Human Rights Watch Lambda still operates much like before: freely, but not legally. Justice Minister Parliamentary commission to monitor Abdurremane Lino de Almedia natural disasters confirmed this bizarrely grey status when addressing the members of the On Wednesday 27 January, the UN Human Rights Council, saying they Standing Commission of the National could, “freely exercise their activities on Assembly elected to establish three Mozambican territory”, but remaining working commissions to monitor the mute on the issue of legality. natural disasters that have hit the country since late 2015. On the registration of Lambda, which members of the Human Rights Council Speaking to reporters after a meeting of had recommended to Mozambique in the Commission, its spokesperson, 2011, the minister said that: “in view of Mateus Katupha, said the commissions the very sensitive nature of this matter, will commence work as from 21 the government of Mozambique decided February in the south, centre and north to undertake a series of consultations on of the country. the urgency and the pertinence of “There are people who have lost their registering this entity”. lives due to heavy rains and the The failure to register Lambda in this collapse of buildings in the north, and arbitrary manner is a clear violation of the same thing is happening, with some their right to association, guaranteed degree of concern, in the centre”, said under Mozambique’s Constitution and in Katupha. “But in the south the opposite international law. This treatment, clearly is happening, with the drought that is linked to the fact that it is an LGBT affecting agriculture. So the Standing group, is also discriminatory. There is no Commission decided to set up three public record of any other group in working commissions to investigate the Mozambique requiring consultations on situation on the ground”.

Katupha guaranteed that the travel of hours. The forecast For Maputo the three commissions to the affected Province is worse than for Gaza and areas will not disrupt the normal work of Inhambane – in Maputo there will be the forthcoming sitting of the Assembly, less than 50 millimetres of rain in the due to begin on 17 February. space of 24 hours.

Source: Agencia de Informacao de The dry condition in the south has Moçambique plunged about 167,000 people into food insecurity. But in parts of the north, Rain forecast for this week will not particularly Cabo Delgado Province, end the drought there has been too much rain. Since the start of the rainy season in October, Despite a forecast of rain this week, the torrential rains, lightning strikes and overall scenario for southern flooding in the north have cost at least Mozambique is one of continuing 30 lives. drought. This was the warning given by the government’s Disaster Management Source: Agencia de Informacao de Technical Council (CTGC) which met in Moçambique Maputo on Friday 22 January, to analyse the current state of the 2015-16 Drought severely damages rainy season. agriculture

“As from 26 January we shall have On Tuesday 26 January, the some significant rainfall in Gaza and government spokesperson, Deputy Inhambane provinces in the south, and Health Minister Mouzinho Saíde, also in Manica and Sofala in the centre announced that agricultural production of the country. In these regions we are has been severely hit by the drought in forecasting that over 50 millimetres of southern and central Mozambique. rain will fall in 24 hours”, Acacio Tembe, of the National Meteorology Institute Speaking to reporters after a meeting of (INAM), told reporters. the Council of Ministers (Cabinet), Deputy Minister Saíde said that so far But this is not enough for agriculture. the drought has cost the lives of 3,500 Tembe said that the forecast rain would cattle, and 437,000 hectares of crops provide some relief for livestock and for are considered lost, which is 8.9% of the human consumption “but in terms of total cultivated area. food production the agricultural season is already very delayed, and 50 In a normal year, the harvest begins in millimetres of rainfall is not enough for March – but this year at least 375,900 crop needs, and will not be able to invert people in drought hit areas will have no the scenario of drought”. harvest at all, and will need assistance. That figure assumes the situation does There will be much heavier rains in not deteriorate any further. But in a other parts of the country. Tembe worst case scenario of deepening forecast rains in the central province of drought, the number in need of aid could Zambézia and the western province of rise to 1.7 million. The current number of Tete of 75 millimetres in the space of 24 people in need of food aid is 176,000.

There has been some rain in southern Dam to minimise effects of drought in and central Mozambique, and the Magude deputy minister was optimistic that if these rains continue, the number of The Thursday 21 January, re-opening people in need of food aid will decline. ceremony for the Manjanque dam was attended by the public, community According to Deputy Minister Saíde, leaders and local government. The actions to mitigate the impact of the project, designed by ARA-Sul, and the drought include the organisation of accompanying rehabilitation work cost agricultural fairs, the production of hay the State approximately MT7 million, to feed cattle, and moving livestock to which includes the cost of infrastructure low lying areas where there is still some supervision. moisture. The government is also publicising measures to save water, by The reactivation of Manjangue dam will making rational use of what little is benefit roughly 4,000 people in the available. Magude district, and the local community hope that it will soon Seven new water supply systems have minimise the effects of the on-going been installed in one of the worst hit drought that has been plaguing this provinces, Gaza. Five are now working region of Maputo Province. while finishing touches are being put on the other two. A further 42 small water The dike, located in Chicutso, in the systems are being built. In the administrative post of Mahel, inside the neighbouring province of Inhambane, 15 Magude district, has a holding capacity new water systems have been built and of 60,000 cubic metres of rain water. six reservoirs dug. The Manjangue dam consists of an The north of the country has the integrated system of reserves, water opposite problem with electrical storms, supply, fountains and sinks, and it also high winds and torrential rains. Deputy has a hole which receives piped water Minister Saíde said the rains in the north from the dam. have affected about 23,700 people. The reservoir will supply piped water to 1,177 houses built of flimsy materials an integrated system of reservoirs. In have been destroyed, with a further addition to meeting the needs of the 3,553 damaged. 256 classrooms and local population these reservoirs will nine health units in the north have also provide water to cattle breeders, for suffered damage. approximately 2,000 head of cattle, in “Throughout the country actions are the region. continuing to pre-position search and However, at this point, only a partial rescue and humanitarian assistance delivery of Manjangue dam was made, equipment at strategic points, for because, according to the ARA-Sul, the speedy assistance to those in need”, investors wish to evaluate the quality of said the deputy minister. the infrastructure, which can only be Source: Agencia de Informacao de done once there is sufficient rainfall. The Moçambique present lack of rain is delaying the

process, as with so little rain the dam community to find out exactly what their has only reached 20% of its capacity. needs are and to provide seeds for the second half of the crop season. The director of ARA-Sul, Helio Banze, said at the ceremony that the Source: Jornal Notícias construction of such infrastructure is one way to respond to the emergency 10 dead in storms in Cabo Delgado situation that is being experienced in the south. “These dams are well suited to Storms and torrential rains have caused address the problem of drought, the deaths of 10 people in Cabo because they are distributed throughout Delgado Province, according to a the territory, where the population is balance sheet of the rainy season concentrated and where there are sites presented on Wednesday 20 January, with potential for cattle raising and by the country’s relief agency, the agriculture”. National Disaster Management Institute (INGC). Under the ARA-Sul programme, the Kassimate dam was completed during According to a report, five of those who the week 15 to 22 January, and the died were struck by lightning. Marien N'Gouabi dam (in the district of The INGC report also said that 605 Namaacha) is about to be completed. houses have been destroyed or Similar infrastructure will be built in the damaged in Montepuez, Muidumbe, district of Panda (in Inhambane Mecufi and Chiure districts. In Province) by the end of this month. Montepuez town over 100 houses have In this context, the source maintains that been destroyed and, according to the the project to create reservoirs is Mayor of Montepuez, the primary school sustainable and will, in time, alleviate in Nacate neighbourhood is in danger of the effects of drought in the south. It is collapse. expected that once the dams have filled, The Nairoto and Mirate administrative water supply would be assured for a posts, both in Montepuez district, have period of 12 months. been isolated from Montepuez town, Source: Noticias because flooding has destroyed a bridge over the Messalo River, and 2,000 families at risk of food submerged a second bridge, over the insecurity in Boane Xitope River.

Approximately 2,000 families have lost Traffic between the districts of Mecufi their crops and livestock to the ongoing and Chiure has become impossible drought in Boane district (Maputo because a bridge over the Megaruma Province), and are now at risk of food River is also under water. The flood on insecurity. the Megaruma has also inundated agricultural areas, although agricultural According to the respective district officials say that crops planted in these manager, Teresa Mahuai, the fields should not yet be considered as authorities are working together with the lost.

But further rain is expected, and all the cannot be passed on to anybody else. main rivers in the province are rising. But they have sold the land and the The northern regional water board building materials we provided, and (ARA-Norte) has recommended that have returned to areas that are unfit for members of the public should avoid housing”. crossing the swollen rivers, and to remove their property from flood-prone Source: Folha de Maputo/Rádio areas. Moçambique/Agencia de Informacao de Moçambique Source: Agencia de Informacao de Moçambique Sofala health authorities confirm increase in diarrhoea cases Households abandon resettlement area The health authorities of Sofala Province have confirmed an increase in Citizens who had been moved from cases of diarrhoea in the districts of flood prone areas in the northern city of Beira, Gorongosa and Nhamatanda. Nampula and were resettled in safe parts of the city are now returning to the The director of the local health sector, danger zones. Chico Farnela, told reporters that no diarrhoea-related deaths had been Much to the annoyance of Nampula recorded. However, his department Municipal Council, these people have continues to urge the population to take illegally sold the plots of land which the the necessary preventive measures. Council had allocated to them. Approximately three cases per day have These households had been living on been registered in the area since the dangerous hillsides, at risk of erosion beginning of the month. and mudslides. In the wake of the heavy rains of early 2015, which resulted in the Speaking in Beira, Farnela dismissed collapse of many houses built of flimsy rumours of a cholera outbreak in the materials, the Nampula Provincial area. However, he did explain that the Governor, Victor Borges, urged the deterioration of sanitary conditions has Municipal Council to resettle them, and aided the spread of diarrhoea-related the Council did so. illnesses.

Angered by the illicit sale of the land, the Source: Jornal Notícias Mayor of Nampula, Mahumudo Amarrane, told reporters that the Mozambique braces for cholera municipality will sue those involved in outbreak illicit land transactions. Hundreds of health technicians in “These people can no longer count on Mozambique have been mobilised to our support”, he said, “because they are visit several districts of Nacala-Porto in opportunists. I have told my team to the northern province of Nampula, to identify those involved, because the help prevent an outbreak of cholera and land occupation licences we granted other related diseases of the rainy season.

The Health Ministry said that the visiting “professionals” who sell blood to health teams must promote awareness patients. campaigns on the need to respect the basic rules of individual and collective The trade was previously covert and hygiene. rarely spoken of, but nowadays, in Nampula Central Hospital – the largest According to the District Director of health facility in the north of the country Health Services, Women and Social – the trade is all out in the open. Action in Nacala, Janet Chau, the health teams are working in partnership with Reporters easily found a man prepared community leaders and traditional to sell blood in the Nampula Central doctors to ensure wider dissemination of Hospital blood bank. A reporter was prevention messages. The campaigns asked MT500 for a pint of blood. But the have to focus on neighbourhoods seller was willing to negotiate. “How considered prone to the outbreak of much have you got there? I’ll drop to diseases during the rainy season. MT300”, he said.

“Cholera is always an emergency According to patients and their relatives, situation, it’s still under control but we this is a common practice in Nampula. are going to boost campaigns … in Hélder Caetano says that he had to buy order to avoid its rapid spread”, Chau blood to save the life of a family member said in the statement. in Nampula Central Hospital.

Diseases like cholera, malaria, “To get blood you have to talk to a nurse conjunctivitis, measles and diarrhoea in the service. I had a cousin who are endemic in Mozambique but aid worked in the blood bank, but she’s no workers worry that the churning waters longer there and the situation has could turn them into raging epidemics. become more complicated”.

To prevent cholera and other water- Angelina Sardinha, the relative of a borne diseases, the government says it patient in paediatric care, told reporters will hand out soap, water purification kits that there was blood for sale in the and instructions on personal hygiene hospital. alongside food and medicine to hundreds of thousands of people in Officially, blood is free in Mozambique. several regions that are prone to health Indeed, it is illegal to sell the product. threats. But according to Deutsche Welle, it has been on sale since 2000 following the Source: APA closing of the voluntary donor organisation that provided Nampula There is an informal market for blood provincial hospitals with blood. in Nampula According to some hospital staff, the sale of blood became necessary after There is an informal market for blood in blood stocks decreased dramatically. Nampula, with health authorities in the province admitting there are Later, in 2008, an Association of Blood Donation Volunteers was created in

Nampula, but the trade continued. The acknowledges the existence of people, president of the association, Zacarias including health officials in the province, Juriasse, says that it is necessary to tell who sell blood, particularly in Nampula the public that buying or selling blood is Central Hospital. illegal. Health authorities are calling on “It is not true that the blood has to be everyone to denounce any occurrences, bought, just because a handful of because selling blood is illegal. donors sell theirs”. “One does not pay for blood, it is free”, In Nampula, there are only 141 regular Abudou says, promising punishment for blood donors. Juriasse says he knows anyone caught breaking the law. members of the association sell their blood, though he does not know how But the Nampula Central Hospital blood many exactly. There are also known bank still has a chronic shortage of cases of people using the association’s blood. Officials appeal to citizens to name to whitewash the illegal trade. donate, but warn that donating blood cannot and should not be turned into a The clinical director of Nampula Central business. Hospital, Bainabo Sahal, says he has no knowledge of the matter, but Nampula’s Source: Deutsche Welle Provincial Director, Munira Abudou,

END