21 minute read
Republic of Mozambique
By Africa Business Association
President Filipe Nyusi
The Portuguese-speaking African countries (Portuguese: Países Africanos de Língua Ofi cial Portuguesa; PALOP), also known as Lusophone Africa, consist of six African countries in which the Portuguese language is an offi cial language: Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe and, since 2011, Equatorial Guinea.
National Profile of Mozambique
Offi cial Name:
Republic of Mozambique
Government Format:
Democratic Republic
President:
Filipe Nyusi
Region:
Southern Africa
Estimated GDP:
US$15.2 billion (2019)
Estimated Population:
30.3 million
Narrative:
Mozambique borders Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Eswatini. Its long, Indian Ocean coastline of 2,500 kilometers faces east to Madagascar. About two-thirds of its population of more than 29 million (2018) live and work in rural areas. It is endowed with ample arable land, water, energy, as well as mineral resources and newly discovered natural gas off shore; three, deep seaports; and a relatively large potential pool of labor. It is also strategically located; four of the six countries it borders are landlocked, and hence dependent on Mozambique as a conduit to global markets.
Mozambique’s strong ties to the region’s economic engine, South Africa, underscore the importance of its economic, political, and social development to the stability and growth of Southern Africa as a whole.
Natural gas discoveries and the recent launching of two natural gas projects have positioned Mozambique as a development hub in the near future: • Expected investment spend over the next fi ve years is estimated at $55bn • We expect these three projects [Coral FLNG,
Rovuma LNG and Moz LNG 1] to represent the main driver of capital spending in SubSahara Africa over the next decade, with over USD 55bn of projected capital expenditure. Taken together, they will boost Mozambique’s gas production from a mere 5.4bcm in 2021 to over 50bcm by the end of the forecast period [10 years]
Political Context:
The Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo) and the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) remain the country’s main political forces, followed by the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM).
Renamo has maintained a considerable arsenal and military bases after the peace accord of 1992, and ever since the end of the civil war, the country has registered fl are-ups of armed confrontations and violence. A new peace accord was reached in August 2019, and has been violated several times by a Renamo breakaway military faction known as Military Junta. The new peace deal aimed at achieving greater pacifi cation of the country by integrating Renamo residual fi ghters into the national army, and dismantling Renamo military bases splattered around the country.
Meanwhile, the government is grappling with another so-called Islamic insurgency in parts of the gas-rich province of Cabo-Delgado. Initially circumscribed to one locality, the indiscriminate killing of civilians perpetrated by the insurgents has now spread to other districts and towns in the province. Recently (March 2020) the rebels attacked and occupied successively the transport hub rural town of Mocimboa da Praia and the town of Quissinga. Recent estimates show the confl ict has killed more than 1,000 people and forced 100,000 from their homes. The risk that violence can spread to other areas of the country should not be underestimated. Presidential, legislative, and provincial elections were held across the country on October 15, 2019, completing the country’s sixth successive general elections since the introduction of multiparty elections in 1994.
The incumbent party, Frelimo, won the presidency and the national parliament in a landslide. Frelimo also secured a majority in all 10 provinces, thus electing governors for each province.
Economic Outlook:
The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic reached Mozambique at a weak moment in its economic history, as the country attempted to recover from two major shocks: the hidden debt crisis and the devastating eff ects of cyclones Idai and Kenneth in 2019. In 2019, Cyclones Idai and Kenneth caused massive damage to infrastructure and livelihoods, further lowering growth and wellbeing of the population.
The pandemic presents a further setback on the country’s economic prospects. The pandemic dims the short-term growth prospects of Mozambique. The COVID-19 crisis will have a heavy impact on economic activity as social distancing and travel restrictions (domestically and globally) aff ect demand for goods and services.
At the same time, reduced demand and prices of commodities are slowing the pace of investment in gas and coal, two key industries for Mozambique. With this, growth is expected to decline to 1.3% in 2020, down from a pre-COVID forecast of 4.3%, with signifi cant downside risks. Development Challenges:
The country’s main challenges include maintaining the macroeconomic stability considering exposure to commodity price fl uctuations, and reestablishing confi dence through improved economic governance and increased transparency, including the transparent handling of the hidden debt investigation. Moreover, structural reforms are needed in support of the currently struggling private sector.
Another major challenge is diversifying the economy by moving away from the current focus on capital-intensive projects and low-productivity subsistence agriculture, while strengthening the key drivers of inclusion, such as improved quality education and health service delivery, which could in turn improve social indicators.
Scrabble Trivia
Mozambique is the only, one-word country to use all fi ve vowels in its name and is the highest scoring, country name, worth 34 points, without extra bonus squares.
Image credit: www.amazon.com/toys-games/games
Assembly Approves Cabo Delgado Report, Renamo Boycotts
The Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, on Thursday approved a report from its working commission on constitutional, legal and human rights aff airs on the human rights situation in the country's two areas of confl ict.
These are the northern province of Cabo Delgado, where the authorities are facing a terrorist organization with ties to the self-styled
"Islamic State Central African Province"
(ISCAP), and the central provinces of Manica and Sofala, where the dissident "Renamo Military Junta" is continuing to launch lethal ambushes against traffi c on the main roads.
The report concentrates on atrocities committed by the jihadists in Cabo Delgado. "People are murdered and hacked to pieces in front of their relatives and neighbours, as a barbaric form of intimidation", said Commission chairperson Antonio Boene, as he presented the report.
The Commission could fi nd no evidence for any similar atrocities committed by the Mozambican defence and security forces, but situations were
reported "of abuses of power and authority", by the government forces.
The main recommendation from the report was the need "to strengthen the logistical and material
capacity of the defence and security forces, to confront terrorist attacks that use modern and sophisticated
resources". It was also necessary "to boost
vigilance so that the people displaced from their homes do not become the victims of terrorists who might infi ltrate the accommodation centres and perpetuate fear and terror among the population".
Frelimo deputy Alberto Matukutuku confi rmed that, up until Wednesday, there had been 11 terrorist incursions against the Cabo Delgado district of Muidumbe. "There are reports of more than 50 people beheaded ", he said, "and of an unknown number of people kidnapped to join the ranks of the murderers and looters". Every day, he added, people are fl eeing from the area under terrorist attack, seeking safety in other parts of Cabo Delgado, or in other provinces. "When they escape the actions of the terrorists, the victims risk dying of hunger, cholera or shipwreck", said Matukutuku. Rescuing Cabo Delgado is "a national
imperative", he said, and attacked those who are trying to portray the war as an ethnic confl ict.
"Tribalising" the war, he warned, risked pushing Cabo Delgado towards a genocide similar to
that which occurred in Rwanda in 1994.
Elias Impuiri, of the opposition Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), said it was now urgent to strengthen the fi nancial capacity of the Montepuez, Chiure and Metuge district administrations. These districts are not under attack, but they need assistance in order to absorb displaced people fl eeing from areas further north.
He claimed that international humanitarian
organisations are making their assistance for the displaced conditional on the government setting up "internationally accepted infrastructures where those in need can be supported".
As for the victims of the attacks by the Renamo Military Junta in Manica and Sofala, Impuiri said "the people tell us they are fed up with paying an exorbitant bill for bad governance that is generating endless confl icts".
The delegation from the Commission which visited Cabo Delgado, Manica and Sofala consisted only of Frelimo and MDM deputies. The main opposition party, Renamo, boycotted the commission's work and refused to take up its seats on the delegation.
The excuse for this boycott was that Renamo wanted a special commission of inquiry into human rights violations - even though a commission of inquiry would have visited exactly the same places and interviewed exactly the same people as the delegation from the Commission on Constitutional and Legal Aff airs.
In the Assembly plenary, on Wednesday, the entire Renamo parliamentary group walked out of the chamber, when Boene began reading the delegation's report. The report was thus approved by Frelimo and MDM votes, with Renamo nowhere to be seen.
Under the rules of the Mozambican parliament, deputies are free to abstain on a vote, but they cannot simply not vote at all. That is equated with absence, and, if the rules are strictly applied, all the Renamo deputies who joined the boycott should lose a day's wages. https://allafrica.com/stories/202011150182.html Image credit: iom.iot
Gorongosa National Park
GORONGOSA NATIONAL PARK (GNP) in Mozambique is perhaps Africa’s greatest wildlife restoration story. In 2008, the Government of Mozambique and the Carr Foundation formed the “Gorongosa Project”, a 20-year PublicPrivate Partnership for the joint management of the Park and for human development in the communities near the Park. On June 7th 2018, the Government of Mozambique signed an extension of the management agreement of Gorongosa National Park for another 25 years.
Approach
By adopting a 21st Century conservation model of balancing the needs of wildlife and people, we are protecting and saving this beautiful wilderness, returning it to its rightful place as one of Africa’s greatest parks.
We are achieving our mission by working in these four core areas:
Conservation: By protecting Gorongosa’s beautiful animals and landscapes, we ensure future generations have a chance to experience this special place.
Community: By providing educational programs, health care, and agricultural support to families–we improve the well-being of local communities.
Science: By studying how all the parts of Gorongosa’s complex web of life fi t together, we can make informed conservation and management decisions.
Sustainable Tourism: By developing sustainable tourism, we create employment for local people and generate sustainable revenue for the Park. Every guest that visits Gorongosa plays a vital role in this amazing conservation eff ort.
Our Mission
Advance an integrated multi-partner approach to conservation and to peoplecentred development. The Gorongosa Project protects the Park’s biodiversity and ecosystem services and unlocks its economic potential for the community inhabitants of the Gorongosa Buff er Zone, Sofala Province, Mozambique and further afi eld.
Our Vision
A thriving, biodiversity-rich, Greater Gorongosa conservation landscape, which supports Sofala Province as an engine for resilient and sustainable development enabling nature experiences and wellbeing for its people, enriching all of Mozambique and the world.
A Park for Peace
On 1 August, 2019 a historic ceremony was held in Gorongosa to celebrate the Cessation of Hostilities Accord between the leaders of the Government of Mozambique and the opposition Renamo Party. The accord established
Gorongosa National Park (GNP) as a ‘Park
for Peace’, delivering human development to the communities that share the greater landscape.
Sustainable Development
The Gorongosa Project serves approximately 200,000 people living in the Gorongosa National Park’s Buff er Zone. A former hunting concession, Coutada 12 , is being added to the Park, and we hope soon to incorporate the Marromeu Reserve at the Indian Ocean, bringing the stretch of the Park from Mountain to Mangrove.
As we expand the conservation areas we manage, our Buff er Zone will grow as well. We anticipate that we will be delivering our human development services to nearly 250,000 people in the near future.
Over the next thirty years, we want to lift every
family in the Gorongosa Buff er Zone out of
poverty.
This means larger farms with some mechanization and access to the value-chain, i.e. markets.
This means more non-farm employment in service industries, factories and construction.
This means investment and planning in clean, green cities that attract people from underserved rural areas.
Gorongosa Park is the economic engine that will drive this positive change.
Coff ee Program
Our large-scale agroforestry initiative with enduring socio-economic and environmental benefi ts. The program targets one of the most important hotspots for biodiversity in the region and one of the most politically contentious areas in Mozambique. Gorongosa Coff ee works with local
farmers and their families living in three remote communities. These communities all endorse a common vision of the integrated relationship between sustainable land use, community development, and conservation value. We are currently selling our coff ee internationally (https://
ourgorongosa.com/ collections/roastedbeans).
Cashew Program
A broad range of interventions throughout the value chain from input provision, production, processing and marketing. Furthermore, the program addresses sustainable productivity, income and resilience, while also preserving biodiversity through agroforestry. Since inception of the project in 2017, the program established four cashew nurseries with capacity to produce 250,000 seedlings, trained 1,414 farmers, and distributed approximately 135,000 cashew seedlings and 7,000 kg of Fertilizer (SSP) to benefi ciaries.
Honey Program
We promote sustainable beekeeping practices, as environmentally friendly and high income potential enterprise for small-holding farm families. We help create sustainable livelihoods for communities while contributing to improve conservation of biodiversity and delivery of ecosystem services in the greater Gorongosa Landscape. Since inception, we have trained 135 professional beekeepers through 17 Lead beekeepers, distributed 666 hives, and helped create an eff ective biocontrol of humananimal confl ict, using bee-hive fences in dozens of locations.
Eco Tourism
The Ecotourism program aims to create an experience in nature that is transformational; exposing guests to the awe-inspiring landscapes and wildlife of Gorongosa National Park. The key activities of this program include: skills building and training for local staff , developing tourism infrastructure and promoting Gorongosa and Mozambique as a tourism destination. The creation of a thriving tourism industry in Gorongosa not only contributes towards the long-term sustainability of the Park, but contributes to the overall attractiveness of Mozambique, and particularly the protected areas around the country.
Sustainable Forests
We have recently received project funding from
the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to start engaging with the local communities in setting up community conservancies, which could potentially sustainably manage and utilize their forest resources. Forests play a fundamental role in providing a number of ecological and environmental services, such as carbon sequestration, water purifi cation, erosion control, clean air, as well as ensuring food security.
Gorongosa’s Wildlife Rangers
The Park’s fl ora and fauna have rebounded in the years since the end of the civil confl ict, and especially since 2004, when the Gorongosa Project started. Substantial problems remain, and in addition to scientifi c research and human development, the Park is committed to enforcing Mozambique’s progressive conservation law aimed at conserving the future of biodiverse ecosystems throughout the country for wildlife and for the people of Mozambique.
Much of the work of conservation in Gorongosa depends on and is entrusted to Law Enforcement – a team of 260 trained rangers led by Tsuere Buramo (Head of Law-Enforcement) and pilot Alfredo Matevele (Deputy Head of LawEnforcement), both Mozambican.
Gorongosa, like many other protected areas around the globe, faces challenges, particularly in the areas of the illegal trade in wildlife (ivory, pangolins, skins and bushmeat) and timber. Fighting these activities are the 260-strong men and women – trained as law-enforcement offi cers. All our rangers are rigorously selected, and trained including in conservation and human rights law. A number of our top rangers have been awarded
local and national awards for their outstanding service and also participate in various advanced trainings aboard each year.
Currently the team patrols over 11,900 km2 of habitat spanning the Park, including an additional adjacent to the Zambezi River north of the Park (since 2018) and the surrounding buff er zone around the Park. With the addition of new rangers, our eff orts continue to expand to include several areas adjacent to the Park as part of a long-term vision to extend wildlife corridors “from Mountain to Mangrove” with a mosaic of Park, community conservancies, and sustainable forestry.
Rangers in addition to patrolling the landscape, are also instrumental in mobilizing local leaders and educating local communities. Many of the rangers are from the communities that they serve, helping establish long term trust. For example, post-cyclone Idai in March 2019, rangers were among the fi rst reaching fl ooded communities to provide food and medical support to aff ected families. They are dedicated to the wellbeing of both Park and people.
As a result of our careful screening and training rangers, we now see tangible results from our eff orts – the number of snares and gin-traps found within the Park perimeters declined by more than 60% over the past few years, and and during this time a number of perpetrators involved in ivory smuggling, illegal logging and pangolin poaching cases were caught and prosecuted.
Mozambique has generally been in the headlines for more organised and large-scale wildlife and forest crimes, and is considered one of the most important transit countries to the Far East for illegal wildlife trade. We strongly believe that our concerted eff orts can have an impact on other areas in Mozambique, and we are proud to have a good working relationship in this regard with other parks and the Mozambican Protected Areas Authority. We have a very dedicated team and are proud of all our conservation achievements.
WildCam Gorongosa
In WildCam Gorongosa (www.zooniverse.org/ projects/zooniverse/wildcam-gorongosa/classify), you'll be exploring photos from camera traps in a national park in Mozambique. By identifying the animals that you see in the photos, you'll help track their continued recovery. Read on for instructions on how you can help!
Select all animals you see in each photo
Use the buttons to the right of the photo to pick any animal that you see in the photo; then, select the appropriate number and behavior of the animals. Mark all behaviors that you see any animal of that species engaging in. Keep adding classifi cations until you have described every animal in the image.
Use the buttons to narrow down options
If you don't immediately recognize an animal, you
can use the buttons above the animal list (pattern, color, etc.) to narrow down your choices and fi gure out what you're looking at. For most animals, the species description also off ers a useful comparison with other species that are commonly confused with that animal.
Don't worry if you're not 100% sure
If you see an animal, please mark it, even if you're not sure, or have no idea what it is! Many people will see each photo, so errors will be fi ltered out. Additionally, if there is a lot of disagreement about what is in the photo, one of the researchers will probably take a look. This is why there is no "I don't know" button. Please just take your best guess!
Join the community and learn more!
That's it! You're ready to start exploring Gorongosa! If you'd like to learn more about the project, you can visit the About page or the Blog. And if you have any more questions, or just want to chat about the project or share a cool image you found, please join us on the Talk forum. Thank you for your help!
https://gorongosa.org Image credit: Thirteen WNET New York, Pinterest
Cuisine of Mozambique: Peri Peri Chicken
MOZAMBICAN PERI PERI CHICKEN is often considered to be the national dish of Mozambique. It is crazy hot, spicy and delicious.
Of course you can make the sauce to your own heat tolerance but it should burn a bit to be authentic. The African Bird’s Eye is the chili that is used for the peri-peri. It ranks 175,000 on the Scoville scale a bit milder than a habanero or scotch bonnet. Different chilies impart different heat and flavors to the sauce, it is okay to use what you like but if you want total authenticity then you should try to find the African Bird’s Eye.
Ingredients
• 1 cup peri peri sauce • 1 whole chicken cut into pieces or spatchcocked
Skin on • 1 lemon
Preparation
1. Wash the poultry with lemon 2. Marinade the chicken pieces or spatchcocked chicken in 3/4 cup peri peri sauce for at least two hours but best overnight. 3. Heat your grill to medium high 4. Grill the chicken until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees 5. Baste with the peri-peri sauce often while grilling 6. Serve with some extra sauce and some chip (fries). www.internationalcuisine.com/mozambican-peri-perichicken/
Peri Peri Sauce
This is the sauce used for the national dish of Peri peri chicken and also used on shrimp. It is often put on many other food items even cheese. Peri peri in Swahili means pepper-pepper.
Ingredients
• 1 cup olive oil • 1/4 cup chopped onions • 1/2 small red pepper • 10 African Birds Eye chili's or whatever type of chilies you like • 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika • 6 garlic cloves • 4 basil leaves optional • 1 Tablespoon Fresh Oregano Optional • Juice of 1 lemon or two limes • 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste as needed • 1 teaspoon black pepper ground • 1/4 cup white vinegar white Optional
Preparation
• In a food processor of blender put all of the ingredients in blend until almost smooth.
• Adjust seasonings to taste and refrigerate until ready to use. www.internationalcuisine.com/mozambican-peri-perisauce
Avocado Salad
Avocado salad is lovely and light. It is a bit different as it pairs avocado, with tomato and peaches.
The dressing is really good. It is citrusy with lemon but it is the peach syrup along with some herbs that make it truly unique and wonderful..
Ingredients
• Lettuce mixed or any type you like • 2 tomatoes cut into slices • 2 peaches cut into slices or use sliced peaches out of a can and you can use the juice for the dressing. • 2 avocados cut into bit size pieces • 2 Tablespoons of lemon dressing See Recipe below • 1/4 cup lemon juice fresh squeezed • 1/4 cup olive oil • 1/4 cup peach syrup of fruit syrup from the can • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon fresh herbs tarragon oregano chopped finely • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Preparation
• Place the lettuce in a bowl • Arrange the tomato and peach slices in a circle • place the avocado in the center. • In a jar put all the dressing ingredients and shake well. • Pour a little dressing on the salad and serve. • The rest of the dressing will keep for about a week in the refrigerator.
https://www. internationalcuisine. com/mozambicanavocado-salad/
Mozambican Bolo
Polana (Cashew and Potato Cake)
You will love this unusual cake, it is not too sweet and has a lovely smooth, rich and moist texture. It gets its name from a suburb of the capital city Maputo called “polana”.
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 cups butter • 1 cup white sugar • 2 teaspoons zest of lemon • 2 teaspoons zest of orange • 9 egg yolks • 5 egg whites • 2 medium sized potatoes peeled, cooked and mashed until smooth • 2 cups raw unsalted cashew nuts ground in a blender of food processor until smooth
Preparation
• Preheat oven to 360 degrees • Butter the bottom and sides of a spring form cake tin • In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and creamy • Beat in the mashed potatoes, ground cashew nuts, zest of lemon and orange • Add in the egg yolks one at a time and blend well. • In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff • Fold the egg whites into the batter • Pour the batter into the cake tin • Bake in the oven for one hour or until golden brown • Remove and let cool before removing from the form. • Garnish with a few roasted cashew nuts www.internationalcuisine.com/mozambican-bolopolana/
