Mozambique launches new tender for hydrocarbon exploration in 2017 (see page 20 for more).

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OBJECTIVE

Offering seamless solutions for asset protection

in SADC political and security environment.

VISION Providing a network of political and security risk

advisers with first-hand knowledge of

Mozambique and each country in the SADC.

SCOPE OF SERVICES Country Risk Management

Country Risk Assessment

Market Entry

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Research & Investigations

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Management

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Sanctions (US, EU, UK, Asia)

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OECD)

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SoF)

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Kidnap and Ransom

AREAS OF OPERATION SADC

KEY PERSONS Dr. Leonardo Simão - Executive Chairman

Executive director of the Joaquim Chissano

Foundation, Chairman of United Bank of Africa

and Member of the SADC Mediation Team for

Madagascar, Leonardo Simão served as Minister

of Health from 1988 to 1994 and Minister of

Foreign Cooperation from 1994 to 2005.

Graduated in Medicine, Specialist in Public

Health, he is a founding member of the Medical

Association of Mozambique and member of the

Mozambique Medical Council.

Nuno Tomas - Director

A career diplomat, Nuno Tomas is Senior

Adviser to former President of Mozambique,

Joaquim Chissano since 2005. He has been

involved in special political missions across

Africa focussed on Conflict Resolution,

Sustainable Development, Accountability and

Good Governance.

Nigel Morgan - Director

For more than two decades, Nigel Morgan has

advised multinational companies, financial

institutions and private clients on political and

security risk related to foreign direct investment

in Africa. He served in the Irish Guards and at

the Centre for Policy Studies in London during

the premiership of Margaret Thatcher.

Joe van der Walt - Director

Former South African military officer, who has

specialised in private-sector security in Africa

and the Middle East, with particular expertise in

the oil, gas and mining sectors and working

experience in Angola, DRC, Liberia, Zambia,

Somalia, Iraq, to name a few.

3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ECONOMY & BUSINESS ............................................................................................... 7

GRAPH 1: MOZAMBIQUE CURRENCY EVALUATION ........................................... 7

Mozambique requests IMF loan ................................................................................... 8

Fitch downgrades Mozambique to B ............................................................................ 9

Partnership with India example of South-South co-operation .................................... 10

Government will draw up projects eligible for Indian loans ......................................... 11

Zim-Mozambique trade rises to US$725 million ......................................................... 12

Belgium bankrolls community development in Mozambique ...................................... 13

Kenya exports its mobile payment technology to Maputo .......................................... 13

President Nyusi calls on banks to expand and modernise ......................................... 13

President Nyusi launches 2015-16 agricultural season.............................................. 15

Government set asides US$ 14mil for disaster contingency plan .............................. 16

Mozambique downsizes state shares in companies .................................................. 16

Gérard Sanspeur runs Nacala’s SEZs ....................................................................... 17

State-owned companies from China and Mozambique establish partnership ............ 18

Mozambique launches new tender for hydrocarbon exploration in 2017 ................... 18

ENI and partners set to explore hydrocarbons reserves off the coast of Mozambique

................................................................................................................................... 19

Mitsui delays final decision on Mozambique LNG project to end-March .................... 19

ENI to decide on Mozambique LNG project investment by year-end ......................... 20

Anadarko announces new Executive Vice President of Global LNG ......................... 20

Metals of Africa has high grades at Balama ............................................................... 21

Triton Minerals to reveal capital raising ...................................................................... 21

MoZiSa and BOSA transmission lines on the cards ................................................... 22

Konecranes to deliver RTGS to DP World Maputo, Mozambique .............................. 23

Cashew nut production in Mozambique approaches 100,000 tons ............................ 25

Gala Women 2015 held in Maputo ............................................................................. 25

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‘Agribusiness seminar-contact’ brings together Portuguese and Mozambican

businessmen .............................................................................................................. 26

‘Business in Portuguese’ conference in Mozambique ................................................ 27

OCAM holds first congress ........................................................................................ 28

Moza Banco of Mozambique changes its name to Moza ........................................... 28

“Solid evidence” of corruption in Britalar case ............................................................ 28

Nacala International Airport's Terminal Shortlisted Design Award ............................. 29

POLITICS ...................................................................................................................... 30

Officials in Nampula ignoring Law on Public Probity .................................................. 30

Macamo wishes to see greater co-operation between Mozambique and Vietnam at

parliamentary level ..................................................................................................... 31

Youth Parliament urges President Nyusi to support Angolan activists ....................... 32

EMATUM Must Give Information Requested By Opposition Party MDM - Media

Council ....................................................................................................................... 33

Soon-To- Be US Ambassador to Mozambique Lays Out Priorities ............................ 34

SECURITY .................................................................................................................... 35

Interior Minister confirms fresh clashes with Renamo ................................................ 35

Population flees to the woods following clashes between the FADM and Renamo in

Inhaminga .................................................................................................................. 36

Renamo accuses Frelimo of violating the General Peace Agreement ....................... 36

Frelimo condemns Renamo’s armed attacks in Sofala and Zambézia ...................... 37

Residents in the City of Tsenane agree to voluntarily surrender illegal weapons ...... 38

Frelimo in Tete demands unconditional demobilisation of armed Renamo men ........ 38

300 Mozambican refugees still in Malawi ................................................................... 39

Schools closed due to opposition insecurity ............................................................... 39

CRIME ........................................................................................................................... 40

MAP 1: KIDNAPPING INCIDENTS IN CENTRAL MAPUTO 2014 & 2015 ............. 40

GRAPH 2: REPORTED KIDNAPPINGS PER YEAR ............................................. 40

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GRAPH 3: TIME OF KIDNAPPINGS 2014 & 2015 ................................................. 41

GRAPH 4: KIDNAPPINGS PER GENDER / AGE-GROUP 2014 & 2015 ............... 41

GCCC charges 10 customs staff with corruption ....................................................... 42

PRM arrest three men for desecrating the grave of an albino .................................... 42

Khálau blames kidnappings on repeat offenders ....................................................... 43

Maputo PRM detain four members of the ‘Homens Catana’ gang ............................. 44

PRM Seize Pumps Used in Illegal Mining .................................................................. 44

Human trafficking: give the PIC the necessary tool to fight such crimes .................... 45

10 Armed Men Raid the Home of the Catholic Archbishop-Emeritus, Cardinal

Alexandre dos Santos ................................................................................................ 46

Mayor and Concillor for Town Planning Arrested In Maxixe, Mozambique ................ 46

One freed in Emmanuel Sithole murder trial .............................................................. 47

WILDLIFE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION .................................................... 47

Ivory kingpin arrested in Tanzania linked to 15 syndicates in Mozambique, Zambia

and Burundi ................................................................................................................ 47

454 poachers nabbed in Mozambique ....................................................................... 48

Fight against rhino poaching needs partnerships ....................................................... 49

Less than 10,000 elephants left in Mozambique ........................................................ 51

Fingerprint test to nab ivory poachers ........................................................................ 52

Third shark attack in Inhambane in two months ......................................................... 53

OTHER .......................................................................................................................... 54

Approximately 71,000 people suffer the effects of drought in Gaza ........................... 55

Five million Mozambicans face food insecurity .......................................................... 55

Drought kills more than 40 cattle in Gaza .................................................................. 56

Inspector of Labour detects irregularities in construction ........................................... 56

Beer that killed 75 in Mozambique brewed with toxic flour ......................................... 56

First rains disrupt road traffic on the N113 between Ile and Gurué ............................ 57

Confirmed cholera outbreak in the city of Mocuba ..................................................... 57

6

BUSINESS INDEX

Anadarko ............................................................................................................. 3, 21, 22

Britalar ....................................................................................................................... 4, 30

CPECC .......................................................................................................................... 19

ENH ......................................................................................................................... 19, 20

ENI ...................................................................................................................... 3, 20, 21

Eskom ........................................................................................................................... 23

INP .......................................................................................................................... 19, 20

Japan's Mitsui & Co Ltd ................................................................................................. 21

Konecranes ............................................................................................................... 4, 24

MTA ............................................................................................................................... 22

Sasol Petroleum ............................................................................................................ 20

Triton Minerals .......................................................................................................... 3, 23

7

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Mozambique Exchange Rate and Fuel Prices: 4 November 2015

GRAPH 1: MOZAMBIQUE CURRENCY EVALUATION

Mozambique Fuel Prices

Fuel Type Price Per Litre

Petrol 47,52MT

Diesel 36,81MT

Prices only valid for Maputo, Beira and Nacala

Mozambique Metical (MZN) Exchange Rate

Currency Buy Sell

Euro (EUR) 46,49 46,71

U.S. Dollar (USD) 42,37 42,57

S.A. Rand (ZAR) 3,05 3,07

Mozambique requests IMF loan

Mozambique has requested financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the first time in a decade.

An IMF delegation visited Mozambique from 14 to 28 October, in order to “complete discussions towards the completion of the fifth review under the three-year Policy Support Instrument (PSI) approved in June 2013”, and to “reach understandings on a new programme to be supported under the IMF’s Stand-by Credit Facility (SCF)”.

A PSI is an instrument for countries that are not asking for loans from the IMF. The IMF itself describes the PSI as “a flexible tool that enables the countries to secure fund advice and support without a borrowing arrangement”. In theory, a PSI “helps countries design effective economic programmes that deliver clear signals to donors, multilateral development banks and markets of the Fund’s endorsement of the strength of a member’s policies”.

The IMF was once a significant creditor, but all of Mozambique’s debts to the IMF were cancelled in December 2005, under the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI). Since then, Mozambique has taken no further loans from the IMF – until now.

The IMF press release on the new arrangement states that Mozambique has requested over 204 million Special Drawing Rights (equivalent to approximately US$286 million) from the SCF. The IMF describes the SCF as a facility which “provides financial assistance to low-income countries with short term balance of payment needs”.

The SCF is intended “to make the Fund’s financial support more flexible and better tailored to the diverse needs of low income countries including in times of shock or crisis”. It carries a lower rate of interest than other IMF loans.

The SCF arrangement is not yet definitive: it must be approved by the IMF Executive Board, probably in mid-December.

The IMF mission gave an upbeat assessment of the Mozambican economy, despite the request for SCF assistance. “Economic activity in 2015 has remained solid”, said the IMF release, “though new challenges have emerged and require decisive policy action”.

The IMF estimates that the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate this year will reach 6.3% (significantly lower than the initial target of 7.5%), accelerating to 6.5% in 2016. Inflation is currently low at around 2% a year, but the IMF expects it to rise to 5-6% over the next few months “due to the recent depreciation of the metical, and required adjustments in administered prices”. (The clearest example of such a price rise in recent weeks has been for bread: in early October the Mozambican Association of Bakers decreed increases in bread prices of between 25% and 50%).

The IMF expects growth rates to rise to an average of 8% in the 2017-2020 period “owing to positive prospects of massive investments in extractive industries, especially liquefied natural gas”.

While the IMF is positive about medium-term prospects, the release states that Mozambique is facing “more complex” short-term challenges.

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The country “is currently experiencing an external shock associated with the drop in commodity prices, lower growth in trading partners, and delays in investment associated with large natural resource projects. Excessively expansionary policies in 2014 (especially on the fiscal side) also contributed to the current difficulties the country is facing”.

The release notes that: “Imports have continued to grow at a fast pace at 17% year-on-year, while exports have stagnated. Capital inflows have also declined substantially compared to a year ago. This has created pressures in the foreign exchange market and has caused a sharp decline in international reserves and a depreciation of the metical”. This analysis of the economy is much the same as that given by the Bank of Mozambique at a press briefing last Tuesday 27 October.

These difficulties caused problems and delays in meeting targets agreed upon with the IMF under the PSI programme. Therefore, the IMF mission reached an agreement with the Mozambican authorities for “a strong corrective policy package to put the programme back on track and manage the above mentioned shocks to the balance of payments. This policy package would involve further fiscal consolidation in 2016 to continue to preserve debt sustainability and contribute to the needed external adjustment. Monetary policy tightening and substantial moderation in credit expansion is also required”.

The IMF praised the Bank of Mozambique “for the recent decision to tighten monetary policy and recommended a continuation of the tightening cycle”. This refers to the Bank’s decision to increase its interest rates.

The Standing Lending Facility (the interest rate paid by the commercial banks to the central bank for money borrowed on the Interbank Money Market) rose 25 base points from 7.5% to 7.75%.

The Standing Deposit Facility (the rate paid by the central bank to the commercial banks on money they deposit with it) rose by 50 base points from 1.5% to 2%, while the Compulsory Reserves Coefficient – the amount of money that the commercial banks must deposit with the Bank of Mozambique – rose from 8% to 9%.

The IMF’s talk of “a continuation of the tightening cycle” gives the central bank the green light for further increases in the reference interest rates.

The release said that: “the mission believes that the authorities’ economic programme, together with the agreed policy package, is strong and adequate to respond to the temporary external shocks that the Mozambique economy is going through at the moment”.

Source: Agencia de Informacao de Moçambique

Fitch downgrades Mozambique to B

Fitch Ratings has downgraded Mozambique’s long-term foreign and local currency issuer default ratings to ‘B’ from ‘B+’. The outlook is stable.

The country ceiling has also been revised down to ‘B’ from ‘B+’. Fitch has affirmed Mozambique's short-term IDR at ‘B’.

Fitch says that Mozambique’s fiscal profile has deteriorated sharply over the past year, reflecting high budget deficits, a rapid rise in public debt, volatile government revenue and a widening

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wage bill. Mozambique’s new government is making efforts to rein in capital expenditure but fiscal consolidation is expected to be gradual, highlighting in part difficulties in increasing the tax base.

Although persistent under-spending on capital projects means that fiscal deficits will be lower than budgeted, Fitch expects the general government deficit to average 5.8% of GDP in 2015-17, well above the 3.6% average in 2011-13.

Fitch says government debt has continued to rise rapidly as a result of high financing needs and the 40% depreciation of the metical in the first nine months of 2015 (around 80% of total public debt is denominated in foreign currency). Fitch expects government debt/GDP to reach a 10-year high of 61.6% in end-2015 (compared to 37.6% in 2011), before falling modestly in 2016-17 on the back of strong nominal growth.

However, increased borrowing by state owned entities (SOEs), on which there is limited transparency, and the potential use of state guarantees, represents important risks to the forecasts. On the upside, interest costs remain relatively low, at 4.8% (compared with the ‘B’ median of 7.4%), as around 60% of government debt is contracted on concessional terms.

Source: StockMarketWire

Partnership with India example of South-South co-operation

On Thursday 29 October, Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosário declared that the strategic partnership between Africa and India is a clear example of South-South co-operation.

Speaking in New Delhi during the Third Summit of the India-Africa Forum, Prime Minister Rosário said that it was crucial to use the event to lay more solid foundations, which can lead to a greater dynamic in the mutual agenda of the participants, in the context of “producing more tangible results”.

He added that the implementation of the declaration and the strategic partnership framework adopted at the Summit will demand strong commitment and firm political will from all those involved.

“In our view, the Declaration and the Framework should concentrate on promoting partnerships in areas where both partners might have comparative advantages, such as agriculture and industrialisation, the development of human capital, health, science and technology, the development of infrastructures, mineral resources and energy”, he said.

The Prime Minister added that, to this end, an adequate monitoring mechanism should be adopted to assess the implementation of agreed co-operation measures.

“I would like to reaffirm that Mozambique is ready to work with all parties to achieve the goals advocated at this Summit”, Prime Minister Rosário declared.

Like other speakers at the meeting, Prime Minister Rosário referred to the heritage of centuries-old links between India and Africa. “We must exploit the cultural similarities and values which united the African and Indian peoples so as to forge and implement programmes and projects which meet our real aspirations”, he said.

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He stressed that, under this partnership, Africa could offer India its enormous market and its immense natural resources which need to be transformed into opportunities for jobs and incomes.

Prime Minister Rosário suggested that India is in a position to offer Africa technological advances adaptable to the realities of Africa, that will improve living conditions on the continent.

He told the Summit that the new cycle of governance in Mozambique, for the period 2015-2019, is focused on increasing employment, production, productivity and competitiveness, creating wealth, and generating balanced and inclusive development.

According to the Prime Minister, the priorities on which the government’s Five-Year Programme rests are in line, not only with the co-operation strategy for the India-Africa partnership, but also with the actions defined in Agenda 2063 of the African Union (AU), and with the Sustainable Development Goals recently approved by the United Nations General Assembly

Source: Agencia de Informacao de Moçambique

Government will draw up projects eligible for Indian loans

Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosário has pledged that the government will immediately draw up projects eligible for financing under the soft loans announced by India.

On Thursday 29 October, at the opening of the Third Summit of the India-Africa Forum, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that his country is making US$10 billion available in soft

loans for African countries to finance development projects. The Indian support also includes US$600 million in grants.

Speaking to Mozambican journalists in New Delhi on Friday 30 October, Prime Minister Rosário said that, the areas to which particular attention will be paid in formulating projects are: agriculture, water supply and the restructuring of the post office.

During a meeting between Prime Minister Rosário and Prime Minister Modi on bilateral co-operation, agriculture was the dominant theme. Prime Minister Rosário told the reporters that Prime Minister Modi had expressed particular interest in co-operating in agriculture, and had decided to send a team of Indian experts to Mozambique to study the best forms for such co-operation.

This follows up discussions with President Filipe Nyusi, whose state visit to India in August included a visit to an agricultural university in Gujarat State.

“Agriculture is of great interest to the country”, stressed Prime Minister Rosário. “Mozambique cannot depend solely on commodities such as natural gas and coal. We have to ensure that the population itself undergoes a process of development”.

For the Prime Minister, participation in development meant giving people the capacity to convert natural resources into job opportunities and increased income.

“Agriculture offers a unique platform for increasing job opportunities and also income”, he stressed, and the government would make a major effort to ensure that co-operation with India emerges in this area.

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Water is another priority area. “As you know, Mozambique has its own specific conditions”, Prime Minister Rosário said. “When it rains too much, we have floods. But there are areas where there is chronic drought, in the south and in some parts of the central provinces. This year, up until December we will not have enough rain, although there will be an improvement in the January to March period”.

The dry conditions would create difficulties in areas that are already drought-prone, and according to Prime Minister Rosário, the Indian government is open to designing joint projects for opening new water sources.

As for exploiting Mozambique’s natural gas resources, Prime Minister Rosário said that India has expressed interest in downstream projects adding value to the gas, such as factories producing fertiliser.

Prime Minister Rosário considered Mozambique’s participation in the Summit as “positive”, and said that the government is willing to implement the Declaration and India-Africa Strategic Cooperation Plan approved by the meeting.

Source: Agencia de Informacao de Moçambique

Zim-Mozambique trade rises to US$725 million

Trade between Zimbabwe and Mozambique grew to $725 million, in 2014 as compared to

$570 million in 2013 with Zimbabwe exporting products like tobacco, cement and tea among many other goods.

Zimbabwe’s exports to Mozambique increased to $577 million last year from $369 million in 2013.

Imports from Mozambique declined to $148 million last year from $200 million in 2013. Speaking on Tuesday 3 November at the trade and investment seminar for the Mozambican inward buyer mission, ZimTrade chief executive officer Sithembile Pilime said there was a need to capitalise on the proximity of the two countries so as to increase two-way trade.

Pilime said both countries should take advantage of the SADC Trade Protocol and the Zimbabwe/Mozambique Bilateral Trade Agreement that offer preferential market access to qualifying products.

The trade and investment seminar follows two successful outward missions hosted by Zimbabwe Trade in Tete in 2012 and 2014.

Pilime said that: “As a result of these two events, a number of Zimbabwean companies established linkages and started doing business with their Mozambican counterparts. Most have not looked back since then. The objective of this mission is to build on the momentum gained from the two Tete outward missions. We urge participants to use this platform to establish new business networks that are mutually beneficial to both our countries”.

Speaking at the same event, Embassy of the Republic of Mozambique first secretary, Custodio Ferreira Ossifo said the trade between Mozambique and Zimbabwe was significantly improving and expected it to grow following the trade mission.

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Mozambique is among the top 10 fastest growing economies in sub-Saharan Africa with average annual real GDP growth of 8%. In 2014 Mozambique had a population of 26 million with a GDP of US$16 billion.

Ossifo said Mozambique was in the process of addressing some of the challenges that are prevalent when doing business, which are to do away with bureaucratic processes in acquiring licences in setting up a company in Mozambique and to date a one-stop business centre has been established in order to facilitate licencing processes among many others.

Source: News Day

Belgium bankrolls community development in Mozambique

Belgium is providing the southern Mozambican province of Gaza with about $1.8 million for a community development program in six provincial districts. The project which is coordinated by the United Nations aims to ensure food security and gender equality, based on the inclusion of women in productive activities.

The official UN Women programs, Boaventura See, explained that the initiative would serve to increase agricultural and livestock production in the districts of Guija, Mabalane, Massingir, Massangena, Chigubo and Chicualacuala.

Source: Star Africa

Kenya exports its mobile payment technology to Maputo

A pioneer in the technology for secure payments over mobile, Kenya never

ceases to export its know-how on the continent.

The Nairobi-based company Cellulant Corporation which is nevertheless registered in Mauritius, has taken a foothold in Mozambique where it recently registered a subsidiary under the name Cellulant Mozambique Limitada. Already present in several African countries (Botswana, Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe), Cellulant provides digital financial transaction services in partnership with banks.

The company was established in 2004 by the Kenyan Kennedy Njoroge and the Nigerian Bolaji Akinboro. Prior to founding Cellulant, Ken Njoroge had launched 3Mice Interactive Media which was subsequently acquired by Africa Online Holding, one of the largest Internet providers on the continent. Bolaji Akinboro met Njoroge in Kenya while he was working for the World Bank.

Source: Africa Intelligence

President Nyusi calls on banks to expand and modernise

On Thursday 29 October, President Filipe Nyusi declared that only the expansion and modernisation of the Mozambican banking network could provide the country with the desired economic revolution.

Speaking at a dinner hosted by the largest Mozambican commercial bank, Millennium BIM, on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, President Nyusi said that the financial system is vital for the national economy, since it is where citizens deposit their savings, and where companies seek the working capital they need to remain in production.

14

He added that, despite an adverse national and international conjuncture, the financial system remains solid and has succeeded in attracting national and foreign capital.

President Nyusi took note of the depreciation of the metical against the US dollar, and linked this to a reduction in the flows of foreign aid. Indeed, the figures published recently by the Bank of Mozambique point to a reduced availability of foreign currency – the country’s reserves have been reduced because of increased foreign debt repayments and a higher fuel bill. The lower than anticipated levels of foreign aid and foreign direct investment means that the reserves have not been replenished.

“This fact should not lead us to despair”, urged President Nyusi. “This situation should challenge all of us – leaders, the financial system and the country as a whole – to raise our efforts as we head towards sustainable economic development”. The best way to strengthen the metical, in short, is to increase national production.

“Every year more foreign currency leaves the country than enters, and this situation has been overcome by resorting to foreign aid”, said President Nyusi. “This means that we are consuming more than we produce. Thus we note that less foreign currency is available on the market which contributes to the volatility of the metical”.

Nonetheless, the overall performance of the economy remained satisfactory. “Inflation remains low and under control”, said President Nyusi. “In September, annual inflation was 2.7%, while the target for this year’s annual inflation is no more than 5%”.

In the first six months of the year, Mozambique’s GDP grew at an annual rate of 6.3%. This was lower than 2014 levels, but President Nyusi believed that it was consistent with a target for the entire year of a 7.5% growth rate.

President Nyusi challenged the Millennium-BIM and the country’s 17 other commercial banks to accelerate the pace of opening bank branches in the districts, ensuring that there is at least one bank in every district.

Figures published by the Bank of Mozambique during the week of 23 to 30 October, show that, as of August, there were 633 bank branches in the country. Of these, 168 belong to BIM.

But the vast majority of branches are in the main cities. There are only 144 bank branches in the districts, covering 70 districts between them. There are now 151 districts, and so the majority are still not served by any of the commercial banks.

BIM Chairperson, Rui Fonseca, told the ceremony that the bank “is encouraging financial inclusion focused on Mozambican women, as the centre of the family and of society”.

“Since women are the true engine of the informal economy in our country - we are promoting this inclusion through creating incentives to join the formal economy”. The bank was providing services “for an increasing number of informal operators, who are gradually being transformed into formal businesses”.

Antonio Monteiro, the chairperson of the Portuguese bank, Millennium-BCP (the main shareholder in BIM), said that BIM has a share of about 30% of the

15

Mozambican financial market, with about 1.5 million clients and a workforce of 2,500 – 98% of whom are Mozambicans.

He said that, at the end of June 2015, the bank had total resources of MT80 billion (slightly less than US$2 billion, at current exchange rates), and the loans it had granted amounted to MT58 billion.

Source: Agencia de Informacao de Moçambique

President Nyusi launches 2015-16 agricultural season

On Friday 30 October, President Filipe Nyusi declared that a key government target for the 2015-16 agricultural season is to produce 2.9 million tons of grain.

Speaking in the locality of Bendeze (in Niassa Province), approximately 70 kilometres from the provincial capital, Lichinga, at an official ceremony launching the agricultural season, President Nyusi said that the target for maize production is 2.1 million tons. If achieved, that would be a 17% increase on the 1.8 million tons of maize harvested during the 2014-15 campaign.

As for rice, the government is projecting an increase of 12%, from 357,000 to 400,000 tons. This would significantly reduce the country’s bill for imported rice.

“We should all be clear about what we are going to produce, how we shall produce it, when to produce and what amounts to produce”, said President Nyusi. “We must also know in advance where we are going to market our produce”.

He called for greater involvement on the part of all Mozambicans in the agricultural season, in order to guarantee food security. According to the President, the

major challenges include the modernisation of smallholder farmers and increasing the amount of land under cultivation throughout the country.

President Nyusi said that all Mozambicans should motivate, encourage and empower the nation’s farmers, including those who have recently graduated from the country’s agricultural schools and institutes.

At the Bendeze rally, the President recognised that the desired increase in agricultural production requires greater national and foreign investment, which will also help increase the volume of agricultural exports.

President Nyusi wants to change the current situation in which agriculture is largely a subsistence rather than a commercial activity. He noted that Mozambique possesses roughly 35 million hectares of arable land, but only 15% of this land is being used.

He promised that the authorities will continue to make use of programmes to promote mechanised agriculture and the diversification of crops, as part of the efforts to combat hunger. The government, he added, is also committed to expanding the infrastructures that support agricultural activity, such as roads, bridges, electricity transmission lines and grain silos.

“Our country has excellent conditions to produce all kinds of crops”, he said. Yet factors such as limited access to credit, to markets and to technical assistance meant that levels of agricultural productivity remain low.

The President reiterated that this scenario should be changed with the intensive use

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of improved seeds, pesticides, fertilisers and extension services.

Source: Agencia de Informacao de Moçambique

Government set asides US$ 14mil for disaster contingency plan

The Mozambican government says it has set aside US$14 million for its contingency plan to deal with future natural disasters during the 2015-16 rainy season.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday 3 November at the end of the weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers (Cabinet), the government spokesperson who also doubles as the Deputy Health Minister Mouzinho Saide, said that the material, human and financial conditions for facing such varied possibilities as floods, drought and cyclones have already been prepared for.

The Contingency Plan considers three possible scenarios. The first, characterized by high winds, drought, and localized flooding, would affect almost 485,000 people. The areas most likely to be struck by drought are the southern provinces of Gaza and Inhambane.

The second scenario is the possibility of flooding on some of the main river valleys, and puts the number of people at risk at about 678,000. The third scenario contemplates a possible cyclone and earthquake in which in the worst case scenario, the number of people affected could rise to over one million.

The forecast for the first half of the rainy season (October to December) is for normal to below normal rainfall in the south of the country (Inhambane, Gaza and Maputo) and in three central

provinces (Manica, Sofala and Tete). For the rest of the country (Zambezia, Niassa, Cabo Delgado and Nampula), normal to above normal rains are forecast.

Saide said that the river basins where floods are most likely to occur are the Pungoe and Licungo, in Sofala and Zambezia provinces, but also the small Inhanombe and Muthamba rivers in Inhambane (although most of Inhambane is at risk of drought).

“The Contingency Plan is the basis for responding to and managing extreme and unpredictable natural phenomena which can cause emergency situations”, concluded Saide.

Source: All Africa

Mozambique downsizes state shares in companies

Mozambican Prime Minister, Carlos Agostinho do Rosario, has told the parliament that the vast majority of companies in which the state once held shares have been either privatized or liquidated. State media reported, on Thursday 5 November, that Rosario was answering questions in parliament from the opposition Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) about the number of public companies in which state has shares, and the financial health of these companies.

According to Radio Mozambique, quoting Prime Minister Rosario, there had once been 280 such companies, but 220 have either been liquidated or sold, leaving around 60 firms in which the state has shares.

“14 of these are public owned companies”, said Prime Minister Rosario.

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He argued that the privatization and liquidation of the companies had so far benefitted 7,000 workers who have become shareholders, and has increased the number of national entrepreneurs, within the context of promoting business in Mozambique.

As for benefits to the state, the Prime Minister Rosario said that, out of a total state revenue of about $2.6 billion collected in the first nine months of 2015, about 0.5 % was derived from dividends paid to the state by companies in which it owns shares.

He disclosed that such companies also directly employed around 40,000 people, and created a large number of indirect jobs for Mozambicans.

Source: Star Africa

Gérard Sanspeur runs Nacala’s SEZs

The chairman of the Mauritius Board of Investment (BOI), Gérard Sanspeur, has been commissioned by the Mozambican government to help it set up three special economic zones (SEZ) in the Nacala region.

The first concerns the port, the second the airport and the third an area of 2,000 hectares dedicated to tourism. Sanspeur, whose three-year consulting contract is funded by the World Bank, began working closely with the Ministry for the Economy and Finance (Minister Adriano Maleiane), as well as with Gazeda (Gabinete das Zonas Económicas de Desenvolivimento Acelerado). He is assisted in this mission by Déborah Porte, a consultant that the World Bank regularly dispatches to East Africa.

The former director of the Mauritius Free Port, and subsequently of the BOI in the early 2000s, Sanspeur has been working as a consultant since 2005. In particularly, he has specialised in creating SEZs, which he has helped to set up in a number of African countries: Senegal (2005), Tanzania (2006), Uganda (2007), Madagascar (2012) and Botswana (2013). In Madagascar, he also participated in the creation of the Economic Development Board of Madagascar (EDBM).

Source: Africa Intelligence

Government looking for stability in insurance and capital markets

The Minister of Economy and Finance, Adriano Maleiane, recently said that the government has designed a strategy to ensure a robust, modern, comprehensive and inclusive financial system, as well as to promote the sound and stable growth of the insurance and capital markets.

He was speaking in Maputo, at the opening of the 35th biennial meeting of the Committee of the Insurance, Capital Markets and Non-Bank Financial Institutions Authority (CISNA). Minister Maleiane attributed the body’s existence to the determination of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries to create conditions for the effective exchange of experience and co-operation on the regulatory functions of the non-bank financial and insurance sectors.

“This co-operation is vital for the economic development process in each of the member countries, given the transversal of the financial sector with the economy, in the context of globalisation and the effects of the global economic crisis. This requires further strengthening

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the response capacity of regulators and supervisors of the financial sector in the SADC region in a harmonised way”, he said.

According to Minister Maleiane, obtaining greater engagement of all CISNA members in achieving its vision is an urgent matter, especially with regard to growth and prudent market development, risk reduction, literacy and consumer protection, mobilisation of capital flows and regional prosperity.

CISNA was created in 1998, bringing together supervisors of insurance, pensions and real estate assets of member states. It reports to the SADC Finance and Investment Ministers’ committee.

The body meets twice a year, rotating among member states. The last meeting, was held in April 2015 in Malawi. This is the second time that Mozambique has hosted the event, the first being in 2010.

Mozambique is represented at CISNA by the Mozambique Insurance Supervisory Institute (ISSM) and the Bank of Mozambique.

Source: Notícias

State-owned companies from China and Mozambique establish partnership

China Petroleum Engineering and Construction (CPECC) and ENH Logística (ENHL) of Mozambique have established a partnership to develop oil projects in Mozambique, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

The agency added that the partnership made up of subsidiaries of the China National Petroleum Corp and Mozambique’s national oil and gas

company ENH, is the first ever to be established between state enterprises from China and Mozambique.

The new company will, according to a statement issued by the CPECC, provide services in gas and oil sectors like chemical and refinery projects; as well as in research, engineering, storage and long distance supply. The Director-General of CPECC, Hou Haojie said last week in Maputo that his company would take this opportunity to promote its skills in areas such as human resources, management and technology in Mozambique.

The partnership’s leaders are also considering future involvement in existing oil and natural gas exploration projects in Mozambique.

Source: Macauhub.com

Mozambique launches new tender for hydrocarbon exploration in 2017

Mozambique in 2017 will launch a new tender for the research and exploration of oil and gas.

José Branquinho, Director of Evaluation of the National Institute of Petroleum Resources (INP) of Mozambique, who is attending a conference in Cape Town (South Africa), said the institute’s strategy was to launch international tenders every two years.

The National Oil Institute (INP) of Mozambique announced on Wednesday 4 November the results of the fifth tender for concession areas for research and production of oil and gas in 11 offshore areas and four onshore areas, which will represent an investment of US$700 million over the next four years.

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Eni Mozambico S.p.Apartnering, Sasol Petroleum Mozambique Exploration and Statoil Holding Netherlands BV were awarded Angoche (A5-A area) for a period of four years. Exxon Mobil, E&P Mozambique Offshore Ltd, in partnership with RN-Exploration LLC (Rosneft) and Mozambican state oil company ENH, were awarded three areas for research and exploration in Angoche district (A5-B area) and in the Zambezi Delta (Z5-C and Z5-D areas) - all offshore.

Sasol Petroleum Mozambique Exploration Ltd, partnering ENH, received the PT5-C area in Pande/Temane, and Delonex Energy Ltd in partnership with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, received the P5-A area in Palmeira. The concession areas on land and at sea cover an area of 74,259 square kilometres.

Source: Reuters

ENI and partners set to explore hydrocarbons reserves off the coast of Mozambique

ENI, along with its joint venture partners has received contracts to explore potential hydrocarbons reserves off the coast of Mozambique.

The award, which follows the 5th Competitive Mozambique Bid Round, involves the exploration and development rights of the offshore block A5-A located in the Angoche area.

Covering an area of 5,145km 2 in a water

depth ranging between 200m and 1800m, the block is placed within an unexplored area of the Northern Zambesi Basin, which is estimated to hold significant hydrocarbon resources.

ENI, through its subsidiary ENI Mozambico, operates the joint venture with 34% stake while other partners include state oil company Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH) with a 15% stake. Statoil and Sasol also own 25.5% stake each in the joint venture.

The partners are expected to undertake program including seismic and three commitment wells. Statoil Western Hemisphere exploration activities Senior Vice-President Nick Maden said that: "The Angoche area is a very promising frontier basin with significant oil potential and builds on Statoil's exploration strategy of access at scale".

Managed by the Institute of National Petroleum of Mozambique (INP), the licensing round comprised 15 blocks in Rovuma, Angoche, Zambezi offshore fields, and Pande-Temane and Palmeira onshore fields.

Additionally, the Sasol and ENH joint -venture secured onshore exploration rights for Area PT5-C, located close to the Pande and Temane fields.

Sasol CEO and president David Constable stated that: "Together with our bid partners, we welcome the opportunity to further participate in the growth and development of Mozambique, the heartland of our upstream operations".

Source: Exploration and Development Energy

Mitsui delays final decision on Mozambique LNG project to end-March

Japan's Mitsui & Co Ltd will make a final investment decision (FID) on a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project off the coast of Mozambique by the end of March, its chief financial officer, Keigo Matsubara,

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said on Friday. The FID was initially expected by the end of this year. The negotiations with the local government on various conditions are taking time, Matsubara said.

He also said the trading company has not changed its view that a slump in iron ore prices may continue through 2019, but that the market will recover after consolidations of high-cost mines.

Source: Reuters Africa

ENI to decide on Mozambique LNG project investment by year-end

On Friday 30 October, Italy’s ENI said that it was still looking to secure debt financing for its Coral LNG project in Mozambique, and that it would make a final investment decision (FID) on the development by year-end.

Global liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices have plummeted in line with oil, with some expecting them to test new lows towards the end of the decade, as a wave of supply hits the market just as demand in China slows.

According to the vice president for ENI in Mozambique, Ferruccio Taverna, the company is in discussions to secure 60-70% of the financing for the Coral project via debt.

On Thursday 29 October, ENI said that it was in final stages of talks with oil major BP Plc for the offtake of LNG from the project, which will draw gas from the Coral field and liquefy offshore for shipping to world markets.

Taverna said that the development was scheduled to begin producing 2.5 million tons per year by 2019.

ENI is also building a bigger onshore LNG facility in Mozambique with projected production of 10 million tons per year starting around 2021. The company will make a FID on that project next year, Taverna said.

Source: Reuters

Anadarko announces new Executive

Vice President of Global LNG

On Monday 2 November, Anadarko Petroleum Corp. appointed Mitchell W. Ingram to the newly created position of Executive Vice President, Global LNG, effective immediately.

“Mitch Ingram is a recognised leader in industry for his ability to advance large-scale LNG (liquefied natural gas) projects effectively, safely, in collaboration with host governments and local communities”, said Anadarko Chairman, and CEO, Al Walker.

“His leadership, industry knowledge and track record of success will be an additive to the strong organisation we have built to advance the development of LNG in Mozambique, and make this line of business an increasingly important part of Anadarko’s future. As our Board and Executive Committee evaluated how to best manage the company’s growing global LNG position over the next decade, we concluded that adding to our ranks a proven leader, to manage this business platform, will optimise our success. We look forward to adding Mitch’s expertise, business acumen and perspective to the management of our company”, said Walker.

Ingram joins the following members of Anadarko’s Executive Committee reporting to Walker:

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Bob Daniels, Executive Vice President, International and Deepwater Exploration;

Bob Gwin, Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer;

Darrell Hollek, Executive Vice President, U.S. Onshore Exploration and Production;

Jim Kleckner, Executive Vice President, International and Deepwater Operations; and

Bobby Reeves, Executive Vice President, Law and Chief Administrative Officer.

Ingram has 28 years of experience in the oil and natural gas industry. Since 2006, Ingram has been with BG Group, where he served as a member of the company’s Executive Committee in the role of Executive Vice President Technical. Previously, he held positions of increasing responsibilities with the company’s LNG project in Queensland Australia, where he was most recently the Managing Director of QGC. Prior to BG, Ingram was with Occidental Oil & Gas for 20 years, where he held several UK and international positions in project management, developments and operations. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Robert Gordon University.

Source: FinChannel

Metals of Africa has high grades at Balama

ASX-listed Metals of Africa (MTA) has unveiled high grade graphite chip sample results from its Balama Central project in Mozambique.

The company has been conducting a pitting programme at the project, testing

an anomaly discovered from technical work.

MTA previously informed shareholders that the chips appeared to grade at between 5% and 20% based on visual estimates. However, on Tuesday 2 November, the company said that the chips averaged at 9.05% total graphitic content, with one sample reaching 17.55%.

It also said flake size appeared to be between 0.5 millimetres and one millimetre in size.

The technical work combined with the assay results has refined an area of exploration in the Lennox prospect, which is part of a strike more than one kilometre in length.

The Lennox Prospect will be tested with the drillbit over six weeks, with 12 core holes for a total of 1,000 meters planned.

It had previously told shareholders that it would drill at Balama Central during the fourth quarter, aiming to firm-up a maiden JORC resource for the project.

The project is alongside the strike by Syrah Resources to the North West.

Source: Herald Sun

Triton Minerals to reveal capital raising

Graphite-company Triton Minerals has been granted a trading halt by the ASX pending details of a capital raising.

Triton’s Nicanda Hill, part of the Balama North project, is firmly ranked as the largest known high grade flake graphite-vanadium deposit.

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Apart from Nicanda Hill, Triton also has Ancuabe in its back pocket, which has some of the best flake graphite flotation characteristics in the world.

The halt will remain in place until the opening of trade on Thursday 5 November, or earlier if an announcement is made to the market.

Source: Proactive Investors Australia

MoZiSa and BOSA transmission lines on the cards

The Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) says it is co-ordinating plans to construct a power transmission line between South Africa and Botswana with the aim of improving connectivity and electricity trade-off between the two neighbours and the region at large.

SAPP is a regional body that co-ordinates the planning, generation, transmission and marketing of electricity in Southern Africa on behalf of member state power utilities. The Transmission Interconnector Project will be known as BOSA, and the Southern African Power Pool Coordination Centre (SAPP CC) will oversee its implementation.

SAPP said, on behalf of Eskom of South Africa and Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) of Botswana, that it is inviting proposals from consulting firms to provide transaction advisory services and project scoping for the proposed transmission interconnector project between Botswana and South Africa.

The Project is being sponsored by Eskom of South Africa and Botswana’s Power Corporation.

SAPP is also overseeing the construction of a transmission line, dubbed the

Mozambique-Zimbabwe-South Africa (MoZiSa) Transmission Project.

The project is being bankrolled by the respective utilities of the three countries, namely Electricidade de Moçambique (EdM), Eskom of South Africa and ZESA Holdings of Zimbabwe. The scheme involves the three countries which are all linked to the Southern African grid.

All the power utilities in mainland SADC, with the exception of Angola, Malawi and Tanzania, are interconnected through the SAPP, allowing them to sell electricity to one another through a competitive market. In this regard, the MoZiSA and BOSA transmission projects have the capacity to improve access to power through the regional grid, allowing the smooth transfer of electricity between and among SADC member states.

The SADC is currently grappling with power shortages, predominantly due to low generation capacity and poor transmission connectivity, which experts allege has negatively affected the smooth sharing of power among member states.

The completion of BOSA and MoZiSa is expected to be part of the solution to power challenges crippling the region. Power trading on the continent started in the 1950s, in the form of bilateral agreements between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.

This trade involved a 500 kV high voltage DC power supply that was 1,700 kilometres in length. Other bilateral agreements followed in different parts of the continent until the development of the first power pool in 1995.

Source: Southern African News

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Konecranes to deliver RTGS to DP World Maputo, Mozambique

Konecranes has received an order for 6 Rubber Tired Gantry (RTG) cranes from DP World Maputo. The cranes will be delivered at the end of 2016.

Located on the south-eastern coast of Africa, DP World Maputo is a container shipping gateway to southern Africa’s vast economic hinterland. The port plays a major role in linking regional production, mining and commercial hubs to the markets of south-east Asia. The port, which is almost entirely focused on origin and destination throughput, serves as the main shipping terminus for land-locked regions of southern Africa such as Gauteng province, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Botswana.

The 6 RTGs on order are 16-wheel RTGs with a lifting capacity of 40 tons, stacking 1-over-5 containers high and 6 rows plus truck lane wide. They will be equipped with Auto-steering, a driver-assisting feature which keeps the crane on a pre-programmed, straight path, and Stack Collision Prevention, Truck anti-lifting and a Truck Positioning System. The cranes will also be equipped with TRUCONNECT®, a remote service that provides 24/7 access to a global network of support centres, offering expertise to help solve problems and reduce downtime.

Mr Junaid Zamir, CEO of DP World Maputo, stated: “Container handling equipment is key to operations across our network including Maputo, and we strongly emphasize reliability and efficiency. Local support on the ground is also important for maintaining our assets so that we meet customer expectations.

These RTG cranes will add to our capability in this major market.”

“Our business continues to grow in Africa. With this RTG delivery to DP World Maputo, we will add southern Africa to our growing presence in Africa. I look forward to forging a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship with DP World Maputo,” said Antoine Bosquet, Sales Director of Konecranes.

Source: American Journal of Transportation

Better roads for better farming, Niassa residents tell President Nyusi

Residents from communities in the northernmost province of Niassa took advantage of President Filipe Nyusi visit last Friday 30 October, to call for improved roads, electricity supply, financial services and markets.

They spoke to reporters after President Nyusi addressed the rally in the locality of Bandeze, approximately 70 kilometres from the provincial capital, Lichinga, when he was officially launching the 2015-16 agricultural campaign.

They stressed that the improvements they were calling for would allow them to increase agricultural production and ensure that their crops were marketed. They lamented that Niassa remains “asleep”, despite its enormous potential in terms of natural resources.

One of the locals interviewed by reporters, Agostinho Aly, said that many areas in the province have a high potential for producing maize, beans and potatoes, but lack basic infrastructures such as roads and water supply, and facilities such as banks and shops.

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“In Bandeze, we don’t have any market where we can sell our produce, and we don’t even have a bank”, said Aly. “If the roads remain poor or non-existent, how can we move our crops?”

73-year-old Aly said that, because of this situation, Bandeze residents are obliged to travel to Lichinga to purchase anything they need, and to sell their products in the markets of the provincial capital.

Aly added that Bandeze also faces serious water problems. There is no piped water and the sole borehole drilled in the locality is no longer working. The local residents are therefore required to fetch water from the Bandeze and Msinge rivers, even though it is unfit for human consumption.

Maria Assane agreed with Aly, and said that the changes under way in Mozambique have yet to reach this part of Niassa. The local clinic cannot attend to the needs of everyone in the locality, she said. It is staffed by just one nurse and one midwife, and there have been cases of women giving birth on the floor because of the shortage of beds.

Six communities depend on this one health unit, and Assane urged the government to build a second health centre in the area.

Diniz Macumba, a farmer from Muembe district, told reporters that the precarious state of the Niassa roads were a serious hindrance to the distribution and sale of the crops grown in the province. He said that it was urgent that the government rehabilitate the road from Muembe to Xiconono in order to allow peasant farmers to move their goods to market.

The current situation “does not encourage the producers”, he said.

Asked to comment on the problems raised by Niassa farming communities, the National Director of Veterinary Services in the Ministry of Agriculture, Jose Libombo, said the Ministry has drawn up an investment plan for the rehabilitation of infrastructures supporting agricultural development throughout the country.

This programme, he said, relies on partnerships with other government institutions, such as the Ministry of Public Works and Housing. The main purposes of the programme is to rehabilitate roads and bridges and open small dams. Improving roads that are currently in a critical state was a key priority, he added.

Source: Agencia de Informacao de Moçambique

Government to manage Millennium Villages

The government will from now on manage the assets resulting from the implementation of the Millennium Villages programmes in the provinces of Gaza, Nampula Zambézia and Tete.

An agreement transferring the power to manage these assets to the government was signed on Monday 2 November, by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Higher Education and Technical Training and the United Nations Programme for Development.

The Minister of Science and Technology, Higher Education and Technical Training, Jorge Nhambiu, says that the Millennium Villages are a reality in the country.

“From 2006 to 2012, with the financial support of our partners from the

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governments of Portugal and Japan, and the United Nations Development Programme, the establishment of five Millennium Villages – Chibuto and Lione in Gaza Province; Ituculo and Lumbo in Nampula Province and Malua in Zambézia Province – was made possible. And we believe that the choice of these sites for the implementation of the Millennium Villages was a good one, judging by the noticeable changes in their communities”, said Minister Nhambiu.

The government created the Millennium Villages in 2006, in order to promote integrated community development through technology transfer and innovation.

In the Monapo district of Nampula, communities are benefiting from the Millennium Villages in terms of increased production and productivity, and administrator Salvador Talapa says that, thanks to the Millennium Villages, communities have embraced methods for preventing and combating malaria.

Source: Rádio Moçambique

Cashew nut production in Mozambique approaches 100,000 tons

Sales of cashew nuts in Mozambique in the 2015/2016 season could reach 100,000 tons, this is according to information released by the director of the National Institute of Cashew Promotion (Incaju), Filomena Maiópuè in Muecate, Nampula province.

Maiópuè, who took part in the official launch of the sales year, recalled that in the previous season sales totalled 80,000 tons. “Achieving the goal of 100,000 tons is something that we view as possible”.

At the time, the director of Incaju noted that Mozambique has 14 cashew processing plants, mostly operating in Nampula province.

Nampula has an estimated 14 million cashew trees and is the Mozambican province with the highest cashew production.

Source: Macauhub.com

Gala Women 2015 held in Maputo

In partnership with the Confederation of Business Associations of Mozambique (CTA), the Office of the President's wife, Isaura Nyusi, staged the Gala Women 2015 event on Saturday 31 October, in Maputo. The Gala was attended by President Filipe Nyusi and Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosário.

The event aimed to recognise and encourage the participation of women in the development of the business sector and the economy of Mozambique - under the motto "Women yesterday, today and tomorrow, together in diversity”, bringing together women from different social backgrounds, particularly entrepreneurs.

The president of the CTA, Rogério Manuel, affirmed that the role of Mozambican woman has always been important in the development of the country to combat poverty and for economic independence.

He stressed that the private sector recognises the government's efforts in this field and, compared to other African countries, Mozambique has many women occupying positions of responsibility.

The first lady of Mozambique, Isaura Nyusi, reaffirmed her commitment to do

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everything to dignify Mozambican women, and to strengthen their role in national entrepreneurship.

She said that the government was working on challenges such as the empowerment of woman, children and vulnerable groups, the training of men and women in gender equality and equitable access to education, health and water.

According to Isaura Nyusi, one of the great needs of the country is continuity in the emancipation of women, since it is fundamental for the development of Mozambique.

"With emancipated women, we will reduce the levels of child and maternal mortality, levels of child malnutrition, levels of early marriages, levels of domestic violence and of all the evils that still affect women in Mozambican society", said Isaura Nyusi.

President Nyusi declared his willingness to support the empowerment of women and young people as pillars of the country's development process.

He stressed that the most important thing is not statistics on the number of women in important posts, but the strategy regarding all women in the country.

The facilitator of the Gala, Natividade Bule, said that: "in general, men are those who say what to do and the women are those who do". In response, President Filipe Nyusi said that he had come without notes in order not to talk too much, and thereby prove that his government is a government that does.

The event also raised funds through an auction of art and jewellery pieces to support projects focusing on women's

rights, strengthening representative associations and training women.

Source: Confederação das Associações Económicas

‘Agribusiness seminar-contact’ brings together Portuguese and Mozambican businessmen

In partnership with the CTA, the Lusophone Chamber of Agriculture (CAL) of Portugal organised a business seminar this week in Maputo and Nampula. 15 Portuguese companies participated.

The seminar aims to identify business opportunities, establish business, institutional and banking contacts, visit regions with agricultural and industrial potential in the agri-food sector and visit the ports of Maputo, Nacala and their logistics bases.

The opening of this seminar, which took place on Monday 2 November in Maputo, was chaired by Agriculture and Food Security Minister José Pacheco in the presence of Salimo Abdula, the chair of the CTA’s bureau and president of the Business Confederation of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLC), Jorge Correia Santos, the president of the CAL, José Augusto Duarte, the ambassador of Portugal in Mozambique, and Tatiana Mata from the Association of Fruit Growers in southern Mozambique (FRUTISUL).

Abdula stressed that: "there is not only the energy sector. It is essential for countries such as Mozambique not to forget the importance of agriculture in the economy and improving quality of life”. He recalled that one of the objectives of the CPLP was to be a world-leading community in the agricultural sector.

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The ambassador of Portugal in Mozambique stressed the many factors that make the Mozambican agricultural market interesting: The agricultural sector represents 25% of GDP and 80% of the . workforce; the country also has excellent agro-climatic conditions, with 36 million hectares of arable land, and a good geographical position along the Indian Ocean. He also recalled the strong economic links between Portugal and Mozambique in this sector; 29% of all Mozambican exports to Portugal are agricultural products, and 12% of products imported from Portugal to Mozambique come from agriculture sector.

Finally, Ambassador Duarte discussed the immense Portuguese investments in the agro-industrial sector in Mozambique, and listed projects: Portucel, Sociedade Algodoeira de Niassa (SAN), a cotton company in Niassa with US$1.5 million investment in Cuamba, Agromoz in Zambezia (with 9,000 hectares of plantations of soy, beans and corn), Pescamar in Beira and Compal juices. The Ambassador said that: "If I were an investor, there is no doubt that I would invest in the agricultural sector in Mozambique".

The minister of Agriculture and Food Security said that support for agriculture is essential, because it is the basis for economic and social development of Mozambique, and the fight against hunger and poverty. He maintained that the main challenge for the government is to improve the production and productivity of agriculture in order to ensure food security. "We must change from subsistence farming to a more market oriented agriculture. The private sector has a key role in this process,” he said. He also declared that the government supports public-private partnerships as a

means to operationalise the political will. He added that Portugal was a key partner. Finally, he encouraged the dialogue platform created by the business mission to establish partnerships.

Source: Confederação das Associações Económicas

‘Business in Portuguese’ conference in Mozambique

‘Mozambique and Portugal: Strengthening economic partnerships’ was the theme of the second session of the ‘Business in Portuguese’ lecture series jointly organised by the Portuguese College of Certified Accountants (OCC) and Portuguese radio station TSF. The event took place on 3 November at the Girassol Indy Hotel in Maputo.

During the coming months, the lecture series will travel through the remaining CPLP (Portuguese-speaking) countries, after starting in July in Sao Tome and Principe.

The Mozambican session was attended by the Minister of Economy and Finance, Adriano Maleiane; the president of the Tax Authority of Mozambique, Amelia Nakhare; and the Portuguese Ambassador to Mozambique, José Augusto Duarte. The business sector was represented by the chairman of the Business Community of the CPLP (Portuguese Speaking Countries Community) Salimo Abdula; the representative of the Portugal-Mozambique Chamber of Commerce, Rodrigo Rocha; and the CEO of Banco Comercial e de Investimentos (BCI), Paulo Sousa.

The Chairmen of the Portuguese and Mozambican Colleges of Accountants,

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Domingues de Azevedo and Mário Sitoe respectively, were panel speakers on the theme ‘The influence of taxation on the Mozambique-Portugal business environment’.

The two colleges of accountants have recently strengthened co-operation within the framework of a knowledge-transfer project, recently signing the first formal protocol between the OCC and a counterpart in another Portuguese-speaking country.

Source: AICEP Maputo Informa

OCAM holds first congress

On Wednesday 4 November, three years after its establishment, the Association of Accountants and Auditors of Mozambique (OCAM) held its first congress, which was attended by domestic and foreign prestigious guests.

Speaking at the event's opening ceremony, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Adriano Maleiane, challenged the association to contribute towards improving the transparency of all public and private entities and the training of professionals linked to this area of activity.

According to Maleiane, OCAM can transmit the knowledge that it possesses to improve the understanding of the companies in need of accountability, responsibility and honesty in carrying out their activities.

Source: O Pais

Moza Banco of Mozambique changes its name to Moza

Shareholders of Moza Banco approved the change of the trade name of the bank to simply Moza. The announcement was

made during a reception attended by the Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosário.

Prime Minister Rosário, cited by daily newspaper Notícias, praised Moza Banco for facilitating the population’s access to banking services.

Moza Banco, which has been operating for around seven and a half years, is the fourth largest bank in the Mozambican market with about 56 branches.

The bank’s chief executive, Ibraimo Ibraimo, also announced that alongside the name change, red would now be the main colour of Moza.

The chairman of Moza, Prakash Ratilal, said the bank intended to continue to monitor the country’s economic growth, notably through introduction of products in line with the Mozambican reality, financial inclusion and use of new technologies.

Moza is 51% owned by Moçambique Capitais and the remaining 49% is held by Novo Banco, a Portuguese bank that inherited the healthy assets of bankrupt bank Banco Espírito Santo.

Source: Macauhub

“Solid evidence” of corruption in Britalar case

Mozambique’s Central Office for the Fight against Corruption (GCCC) believes that there is solid evidence of corruption in the procurement of the contract to rebuild Avenida Julius Nyerere, which was awarded to a consortium headed by the Portuguese company Britalar.

The GCCC investigation began after major defects in the supposedly rehabilitated road were noted. The

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consortium was formed by Britalar, and two other Portuguese companies, Europa Arlindo and Aurelio Sobreiro. Maputo Municipal Council awarded the contract to these companies, who received €10 million (approximately US$11 million) to rebuild the road.

But before the road was delivered to the Council, it began to disintegrate, with huge cracks and potholes appeared along the stretch.

Speaking at a Maputo press conference on Thursday 29 October, GCCC spokesperson, Eduardo Sumana, said that the contractors had clearly failed to abide by the terms of the contract.

The sub-standard work done by the Britalar consortium was visible to the naked eye, and there was no sign of the job being finished. Yet instead of terminating the contract, the City Council extended it. Two extensions were granted, and in February 2013 the Mayor of Maputo, Daviz Simango, even declared that Britalar would complete the road within the new deadlines. But it did not do so, and it was only in January 2015 that the Council terminated the contract.

By then, samples of the materials used by Britalar had been collected and sent to three laboratories – two in Mozambique and one in Portugal. All the laboratories agreed that the road had started to crumble away because of the poor quality of the materials.

There were strong suspicions that Britalar had run out of money. In later 2012, Britalar in Portugal announced an accumulated debt of over €10 million, and several of its creditors demanded that the company be declared bankrupt.

Sumana did not reveal anything new; but he insisted that there were “solid grounds” for believing that corruption was involved in the contract. He did not, however, reveal what these were.

Despite the scandal of Avenida Julius Nyerere, Britalar continued to win contracts – with serious negative consequences. Britalar was the contractor on a building site in downtown Maputo, where a 17 storey office block for the National Social Security Institute (INSS) was being built. On 14 July badly assembled scaffolding collapsed, killing five building workers. Britalar, as the contractor, has been held responsible for the collapse.

Source: Agencia de Informacao de Moçambique

Nacala International Airport's Terminal Shortlisted Design Award

The passenger terminal at Mozambique's new Nacala International Airport has been shortlisted for a prize in the African Property Awards for 2015/16.

Designed by Fernandes Arquitectos Associadas, the terminal has been nominated for an award in the 'public service architecture' category, and if successful will be judged against other public buildings from across the world in the International Property Awards in London next month.

The terminal, together with the new US$145 million Nacala International Airport, have certainly proved impressive new additions to Mozambique's key infrastructure since being opened by President Armando Guebuza late last year.

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Situated in northern Mozambique, the airport is situated on a key international trade route and has been built by converting the former Nacala Air Base, with construction being carried out by Brazilian contracting firm Odebrecht International.

Equipped to handle up to 500,000 passengers annually, the new terminal boasts 16 check-in desks, 16 immigration desks, four arrival and departure gates, and two departure lounges.

According to Fernandes Arquitectos Associados, a central hall with a mezzanine level that houses the retail and

F&B offerings and main waiting lounge area form the heart of the terminal.

Operator Aeroportos de Moçambique (ADM) believes the gateway has the potential to become a hub for northern Mozambique and southern Africa and describes it as a "milestone project" for the country.

ADM says its view is based on the airport's strategic value for the city and its power to help develop and transform the country.

Source: Club of Mozambique

POLITICS

Officials in Nampula ignoring Law on

Public Probity

According to Attorney-General Beatriz Buchili, the vast majority of state officials in the northern province of Nampula are not complying with their obligations under the Law on Public Probity.

The law was passed by the National Assembly in 2012; but three years on, during a working visit to Nampula, Buchili found that some of its key clauses are being ignored. The law states that all officials at decision making levels are obliged to make a declaration of their assets, which must be regularly updated. This clause covers around 700 officials in Nampula; but according to a press release from Buchili’s office, she found that only 63 officials had submitted the declarations, and seven of those had done so outside the legal deadline.

“This illegality may be occurring in other provinces”, the release said. Furthermore, officials in Nampula had neither identified nor dealt with the situations of conflicts of interests mentioned in the law. There were also cases of “officials who do not respect their ethical duties and not live in accordance with the general and special prohibitions embodied in the law”, the release added.

It warned that the Attorney-General’s Office “is taking appropriate measures to ensure effective compliance with the law, namely the application of the sanctions envisaged in the law itself. This includes fines, the suspension of wages, and dismissals with a ban on occupying any post for the next five years, among others”.

During her visits to the courts, attorneys’ offices and police stations in Nampula city and the port of Nacala, Buchili discovered the “prevalence of illegal

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detentions”, and “delays in legalising detentions” (detention of suspects must be validated by a magistrate within 48 hours). There were delays in holding trials, even in cases of petty offences (in which case, summary trials should take place).

Buchili also found that detainees were being kept in police stations that do not house holding cells, because the lack of official transport, meant that these detainees could not immediately be taken to stations which do have cells.

Partly due to the slowness in holding trials, prisons were overcrowded. The release said that another reason for the overcrowding is because the clauses in the new Penal Code that envision alternatives to prison sentences (such as community service) cannot be implemented until a new Penal Procedural Code is in place – but the National Assembly is unlikely to approve this code before December 2016.

The release said that, in order to solve these problems, the co-ordination between the Nampula branch of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Criminal Investigation Police (PIC) must be urgently improved, so that prosecutors can take effective control of cases. Buchili also insisted that the legal time limits on preventive detention and on preliminary investigation must be respected.

She called for “an end to unnecessary red tape and to the delays arising from the inertia of some officials, magistrates and PIC agents”.

Furthermore Nampula, as the most populous province in the country,

requires more prosecutors and judges to deal with the case load.

Buchili specifically focused on the wave of crimes against albino citizens, whose body parts are harvested for black magic rituals. Between January and September, there were 27 such crimes recorded in Nampula. Five of these cases involved robbing the graves of albinos to steal remains. These five cases have since gone to court.

One case, involving the abduction and trafficking of an albino, is currently being tried, while suspects have been charged and the papers sent to court in two cases involving the murder of albinos. In another murder case, charges could not be pressed because it had not been possible to identify the criminals. One case of abduction could not be pursued for lack of evidence. The other 17 cases are still under investigation.

The release added that crimes against albinos “must be given priority so that those responsible are given the maximum penalty as quickly as possible, thus serving as an example”.

Buchili insisted that the police and prosecutors must undertake thorough investigations in such cases in order to detain not only the murderers and/or kidnappers, but also those who gave them their instructions.

Source: Agencia de Informacao de Moçambique

Macamo wishes to see greater co-operation between Mozambique and Vietnam at parliamentary level

On Monday 2 November, the Speaker of the House, Veronica Macamo, praised the relations of co-operation and

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friendship between Mozambique and Vietnam.

Macamo further expressed her desire to see greater co-operation between the two countries at parliamentary level, therefore contributing towards the consolidation of bilateral relations and the political, economic and social well-being of both countries.

These sentiments were expressed during a meeting held between Macamo and the Vietnamese delegation, headed by Ta Ngoc Tan, a Central Committee member of the Vietnamese Communist Party.

Macamo stressed that the exchange of information between Mozambique and Vietnam has helped both countries benefit from mutual experiences, which contributes to the fortification of their relationship.

Source: O País

Youth Parliament urges President Nyusi to support Angolan activists

On Wednesday 3 November, the Youth Parliament of Mozambique called on the President Filipe Nyusi, to "be supportive of the Angolan youths" who are detained. Furthermore, they urged the Angolan authorities to "end the practice of arrests, harassment and arbitrary intimidation of activists”.

In a statement sent to Lusa, the Mozambican Youth Parliament reminds the Angolan President, José Eduardo dos Santos, that "thinking is not a crime" and points out to President Nyusi, that "to be supportive is to look after others and respect them, help them as if they were members of the same family".

The document urges President Nyusi to “show solidarity towards the Angolan youths" and "on his visit to Angola from 8-11 November, to invite the president of Angola, José Eduardo dos Santos, to revisit the founding ideas of the People's Republic of Angola and free the young Angolan activists now, at the risk of transforming our brother country into Sodom and Gomorrah should he fail to do so".

The youth association in the statement stresses that "the arrested youth activists are members of the African Youth Conference, of which the Youth Parliament of Mozambique is a mentor”. It is this fact that “convinces us of the integrity and the spirit of sacrifice of these activists in the service of a democratic Angola".

"Convinced that Mozambique and Angola share centuries-old relations of struggle, sacrifice, victory and solidarity, the Youth Parliament cann

ot allow injustice in Angola to constitute a threat to justice in Mozambique and around the world”, the document reads.

In June, 15 Angolan activists, including the Luso-Angolan Luaty Beirão, who went on a hunger strike for 36 days in protest over the extension of detentions beyond the time allowed by law in Angola, have been charged with ‘preparing a rebellion' and ‘attempted coup’.

An indictment of the Court of Luanda, dated October 15, maintained that the young people had attended eight weeks of seminars in Luanda aimed at "researching, debating and holding discussions about a manual by Professor Domingos da Cruz called

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'Tools to destroy the dictator and avoid new dictatorship - Liberation for Angola Political Philosophy’”.

The book by Domingos da Cruz, which is the basis of the activists’ arrest, is founded on the political thought of authors who advocate non-violent actions against totalitarian states, including the ideas of American philosopher Gene Sharp.

In the statement, the Mozambican Youth Parliament advocates that "the young activists, among many others who remain anonymous, call for an opportunity to contribute to the development of Angola in the light of what is enshrined in the African Youth Charter, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, and the Constitution of the Angolan Republic".

Therefore, the Mozambican college considers that "freedom of expression, demonstration, thinking differently and peaceful assembly are fundamental rights incorporated by the Angolan Government in the holiest of its internal rules and it must be observed by the authorities and by all citizens for the common good".

Source: Lusa

EMATUM Must Give Information Requested By Opposition Party MDM - Media Council

The Higher Mass Media Council (CSCS) - watchdog body established under the Mozambican Constitution to defend press freedom and the right to information - has urged the Mozambique Tuna Company (EMATUM) to provide the information requested of it by the

opposition Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM).

In July 2015, the MDM had requested that EMATUM provide a range of documents, including the company’s statutes, contracts and financial agreements it had signed, viability studies and a list of all its assets. But on 16 July, EMATUM sent a letter to the MDM refusing outright to provide the information requested.

It based its refusal on the grounds that it is technically a private company, and is thus not covered by the article in the Mozambican Constitution which gives parliamentary deputies the right “to request and obtain from the government or from public institutions data and information necessary for the exercise of their duties”.

The CSCS made short work of this argument. The CSCS document, points out that, although EMATUM has the status of a private company, all its shareholders are state-owned.

The majority shareholder (with 34% of the shares) is the government’s Institute for the Management of State Holdings (IGEPE), which is 100% owned by the state. The Mozambican Fishing Company (EMOPESCA) owns 33% of EMATUM. EMOPESCA is 80% owned by the state and 20% by the Fisheries Promotion Fund (FPP). The final 33% of EMATUM is owned by the company GIPS, which is 60% owned by the Social Services of the State Information and Security body, SISE. The FPP and the SISE Social Services are 100% state controlled.

Furthermore, the CSCS points out, EMATUM benefitted from a state

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guarantee for the loan of US$850 million which it took out on the European bond market in 2013. The government, and hence the Mozambican taxpayers, have underwritten the EMATUM loan.

So, although EMATUM was formed as a private company, under the country’s commercial legislation, that was “merely formal”, the CSCS says. “On the material level, and given the volume of state participation in the company’s capital, its markedly public character is undeniable”.

Given the preponderance of state interests in EMATUM, the CSCS adds: “It is manifestly obvious that this places it in the group of national economic institutions eligible to regular and rigorous public scrutiny, notably through parliament”.

Furthermore, EMATUM is one of the bodies covered by the Freedom of Information law passed by parliament last year. Under this law public or quasi-public bodies are obliged to make available a wide range of information to the public. The matters in the MDM’s request coincide with those which EMATUM ought to make public under the Freedom of Information Bill.

Since the MDM’s request “is legitimate and is covered by the law”, the CSCS urged EMATUM to provide the information requested. But since publishing this information is obligatory, it called on EMATUM to go much further and make it widely available, through the official gazette, the “Boletim da Republica”, through the Mozambican media, and through Internet websites.

The CSCS took the opportunity to urge all other bodies covered by the Freedom

of Information Law to make every effort to comply voluntarily with their obligations, obeying “the principle of maximum revelation of the material of public interest in their possession”.

Source: AIM

Soon-To- Be US Ambassador to Mozambique Lays Out Priorities

The ambassador appointed by the President of United States of America, Barack Obama to Maputo, Dean Pittman, said on Tuesday 3 November, that: “Mozambique faces enormous challenges, such as insecurity, weak democratic institutions and borders unable to contain all kinds of international trade".

Speaking in the Foreign Policy Committee in the U.S. Senate, Pittman additionally advocated greater cooperation between the United States and Maputo in Health and Education.

Pittman said that for Mozambique to partner with the United States, the country "needs a climate of peace, strong and democratic institutions, a healthy and educated population, an engaged civil society and inclusive economic growth which benefits all Mozambicans".

The Senate must approve the appointment before Pittman can be sworn in by President Obama.

Dean Pittman, a career member of the Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counsellor, currently serves as Senior Advisor in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, a position he has held since 2014.

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Previously, Pittman served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs from 2010 to 2014, and served concurrently as Acting Assistant Secretary from 2013 to 2014.

Prior to that, he was Senior Diplomacy Advisor to the Department’s Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review from 2009 to 2010, Member of the Office of Policy Planning from 2007 to 2009, and Consul-General at the U.S. Consulate General in Belfast, United Kingdom, from 2004 to 2007.

Additionally, he served as Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State from 2002 to 2003.Pittman was Director for Balkan Affairs on the National Security Council staff from 2000 to 2002, Political Counsellor at the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina from 1999 to 2000, and Legislative Management Officer for East Asia and Pacific Affairs from 1997 to 1999.

Source: VOA Português

SECURITY

Interior Minister confirms fresh clashes with Renamo

On Friday 30 October, Interior Minister Jaime Monteiro confirmed that the defence and security forces (FADM) and Renamo militia had clashed on more than one occasion during the course of the week 23 to 30 October, in the central provinces of Sofala and Zambézia.

Speaking to reporters in Canda (in the Sofala district of Gorongosa), where he was representing President Filipe Nyusi at the launch of the 2015-16 agricultural season, Minister Monteiro said that on Thursday 29 October, Renamo militia attacked a riot police vehicle which was on patrol in the Vanduzi area (in Gorongosa). Two policemen were allegedly injured in the attack.

The clashes in Zambézia have been reported from Morrumbala district, which

is where Renamo boasted earlier this year that it was setting up new barracks.

Minister Monteiro also confirmed that the FADM are now dismantling Renamo bases and collecting the weapons found there. He said that this would continue despite the recent clashes. The minister described the Renamo bases as “nests of instability”, and removing them was necessary to guarantee public order and tranquillity throughout the country. He said that this task began on 9 October, when the defence forces disarmed Afonso Dhlakama’s personal guard in Beira.

“Our main mission is to guarantee public order and tranquillity”, stressed Minister Monteiro. “So we shall continue to fight crime, particularly crime practiced with the use of firearms. We are now beginning the agricultural campaign, and the people want to work the land freely and peacefully, to increase production and productivity”. He

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promised that all the Renamo bases would be dismantled.

As for the alleged “disappearance” of Dhlakama, who has not been seen in public since 9 October, the minister said that he is a free citizen entitled to travel wherever he likes, and the police will protect him just as it protects any other citizen.Minister Monteiro’s words were echoed by the General Commander of the PRM, Jorge Khálau, at a press conference on Friday 30 October in Maputo.

Commander Khálau said that last Wednesday 28 October, Renamo militia had attacked and burnt down houses in Morrumbala. However, the quick response by the PRM subsequently returned the district to a state of calm and security.

Commander Khálau stressed that the PRM will continue to neutralise the armed Renamo men who terrorise the local population. Since Dhlakama had authorised the disarmament of his own guards, Commander Khálau saw no reason why anyone else in Renamo should continue to possess guns.Like Minister Monteiro, Commander Khálau stressed that Dhlakama was a free man, denying claims that Dhlakama had ever been under house arrest.

Source: Agencia de Informacao de Moçambique

Population flees to the woods following clashes between the FADM and Renamo in Inhaminga

Fresh clashes between the FADM and Renamo gunmen in Inhaminga (Sofala Province) has forced the population to

flee into the woods, leaving the village deserted.

On Saturday 31 October, Adelino Fernandes, a priest from the Sacred Heart Congregation in Inhaminga, told reporters that an intense gunfight took place in Cheringoma village from 17:50hrs to around 19:00hrs on Friday 30 October.

“When the shooting stopped, the population began to flee to the woods. Dozens [of people] crossed the railway line on foot and set out towards the Marromeu district [north of Sofala]”, said Fernandes, describing a situation of insecurity in the region. The priest also said that a group of government troops told the local population to leave on Friday 30 October, warning them that something was going to happen.

“In the face of this situation, we cancelled a pilgrimage to Murassa because there were no safety conditions. Seven kilometres from where we are, there is a police command and the place was in a stir this morning”, said Fernandes. Lusa tried in vain to contact the local administrator. The spokesperson for the Sofala PRM of Sofala, Daniel Macuácua, said that he had no knowledge of any shooting in the region.

Source: Lusa

Renamo accuses Frelimo of violating the General Peace Agreement

On Saturday 31 October, Renamo’s deputy head of mobilisation within the city of Matola, Nelson Isaías, said that the party is concerned with the government’s decision to use the FADM to disarm Renamo, claiming that this is

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in violation of the General Peace Agreement (signed in Rome on 4 October,1992) and the Agreement on the Cessation of Military Hostilities (signed in Maputo on 5 September, 2014).

“We are concerned with the decision that the government is taking, instructing the defence and security forces to disarm Renamo by force in violation of the General Peace Agreement, which recommends that Renamo should have its armed security”, said Isaías.

Isaías subsequently confirmed the existence of headquarters in Morrumbala (Zambézia Province). “As is common knowledge, we have a headquarters in Morrumbala, Zambézia Province, where our men are stationed, awaiting the reinstatement order agreed upon with the government, when the International Observer Military Team for the Cessation of Military Hostilities (EMOCHM) was established. However, the government has used dilatory ways to forcibly disarm us, attacking our men at the barracks, which we vehemently repudiate”, he said.

When asked about the whereabouts of the party leader, Isaías said that this was a question that the government must answer, as it is responsible for Afonso Dhlakama’s safety.

Source: O País

Frelimo condemns Renamo’s armed attacks in Sofala and Zambézia

Frelimo has vehemently condemned the recent attacks in the provinces of Sofala and Zambézia, which the party claims were instigated by Renamo. According to Frelimo, these actions are aimed at

undermining the atmosphere of peace that exists in the country, create a climate of political and social instability, and discredit the tangible efforts towards development that the government has been making.

This position was expressed on Saturday 31 October, in Chimoio (Manica Province), during a working meeting headed by the party’s president, Filipe Nyusi, held in order to review the operation of Frelimo’s members in the region.

This was President Nyusi’s first visit to Manica since taking up the post earlier this year.

President Nyusi was welcomed on his arrival in Chimoio by a crowd of people including party members, supporters and the general public, who had been waiting since the early hours of the morning to greet him.

Leaflets and posters in the streets and squares of Chimoio announced the President’s visit, and song and dance celebrated his arrival at the airport.

Once in the city, President Nyusi met the Provincial Party Committee and was informed of the latest political, economic, social and cultural developments, in the province in a report presented by the First Secretary of the Frelimo party Provincial Committee, Mariazinha Niquice.

The meeting also reviewed various aspects of the party’s function and addressed the need to help the population meet the challenges of the current political and economic situation.

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Speaking at a press conference moments, after landing in Chimoio, the Secretary General of the Party, Eliseu Machava, explained that President Nyusi’s visit is in line with his intention to assess the functioning of the party, from the cells up, through circle, zone, district and province committees.

This is a measure aimed at strengthening national unity, the country’s reconstruction, and the involvement of all Mozambicans in the preservation of peace and national unity.

Machava said that for peace to be long-lasting, every Mozambican must work for it, highlighting the key role of his party in working for a culture of peace in the country, an essential factor for development.

Source: Notícias

Residents in the City of Tsenane agree to voluntarily surrender illegal weapons

During the course of the week 23 to 30 October, the residents of Tsenane locality in the administrative post of Tome, Funhalouro district (Inhambane Province), said last week they would collaborate with law enforcement authorities in the voluntary surrender of illegal firearms. This promise was made during a rally led by the Provincial Commander of the PRM, Dora Manjate.

Manjate called on residents in Funhalouro, where more than 100 armed Renamo militiamen have been in hiding, to follow the example of the recent symbolic surrender of 16 weapons by Afonso Dhlakama’s guards. As such, Manjate has asked all

residents to lead the police to arms caches in the area.

Manjate also called on the population of Malamule, Mbenzane and Ribye, where some old Renamo bases remain at least partially active, to co-operate with efforts to restore peace and national unity in the country. Manjate warned that those who do not comply with the law and are found to illegally possess firearms will be punished to the full extent of the law. However, he maintained that those who handover their weapons will not be questioned or prosecuted.

Manjate reiterated that the PRM is not employed or influenced by any political party. He argued that their duty is to obey the law, and the Commander-in-Chief of the FADM, in carrying out their responsibility, which is to maintain order and security for all citizens.

Source: Jornal Notícias

Frelimo in Tete demands unconditional demobilisation of armed Renamo men

The First Secretary of Frelimo in Tete, Fernando Bemane, has demanded that Renamo unconditionally demobilise its remaining combatants.

Bemane said that he believes that weapons do not bring peace and wellbeing to the people, and should be replaced by farming equipment, so that the country can continue to develop. The Frelimo official is calling for the Renamo leader, Afonso Dhlakama, to stop making bellicose speeches and sit down and talk with President Filipe Nyusi.

Source: Rádio Moçambique

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300 Mozambican refugees still in Malawi

The United Nations estimates that there are still about 300 Mozambican refugees in Malawi.

The spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Tina Ghelli, said that the agency was working with the Malawian government to ensure their social integration or return to Mozambique.

Source: Rádio Moçambique

Schools closed due to opposition insecurity

Ten primary schools have been closed in the province of Tete, due to threats made by the main opposition party (former rebel movement Renamo), local radio has reported.

The state-owned Radio Mozambique quoted the governor of Tete, Paulo Auade, as saying that the situation affected three thousand children, whose parents have abandoned Moatize town in the province because of Renamo.

Governor Auade condemned Renamo’s behaviour, asking its members to abandon acts of violence.

The residents of Moatize say that the former rebel movement has several military bases in the remote areas.

The government accuses the main opposition of violating an agreement signed in September last year on the cessation of hostilities between the two sides.

Renamo accuses the government of doing the same.

Last month, thousands of students also abandoned their schools in the central province of Zambezia, the second most populated province in Mozambique and one of Renamo’s strongholds.

The government and Renamo have been trying to agree on the disarmament of Renamo fighters, but negotiations which started in March 2013 collapsed in August.

Last month, eight Renamo officers surrendered to the Mozambican Armed Forces in the capital, Maputo. They told journalists that many Renamo members are willing to leave the bush and join the FADM, or return to their families and live normal lives; but they fear for reprisals from the army.

Source: Xinhua News

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CRIME

MAP 1: KIDNAPPING INCIDENTS IN CENTRAL MAPUTO 2014 & 2015

GRAPH 2: REPORTED KIDNAPPINGS PER YEAR

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5

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2011/2012 2013 2014 2015

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19

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GRAPH 3: TIME OF KIDNAPPINGS 2014 & 2015

GRAPH 4: KIDNAPPINGS PER GENDER / AGE-GROUP 2014 & 2015

*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

0

1

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8

9

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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

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<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

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GCCC charges 10 customs staff with corruption

On Thursday 29 October, GCCC spokesperson, Eduardo Sumana, announced that 10 customs staff and one clerk at the Sofala Provincial Administrative Tribunal have been charged with corruption and are awaiting trial in Beira.

The 11 accused are charged with forging customs clearance documents for 47 imported vehicles, and appropriating the money that should have been paid to the State in taxes.

The corrupt scheme was in operation for a year, and the group managed to steal over MT20 million (approximately US$491,000 at current exchange rates).

A former mayor is also facing corruption charges.

Sumana said that Jorge Macuacua, the former mayor of Chokwe (in the southern province of Gaza), is currently on trial accused of the theft of state funds in 2009-2010.

This sheds some light on why the ruling Frelimo Party demanded that Macuacua resign as mayor in July 2011. He was one of five mayors whose performance worried Frelimo so much that the party asked for their resignations.

Three of them (Pio Matos in Quelimane, Sadique Yacub in Pemba, and Arnaldo Maloa in Cuamba) obeyed their party, and mayoral by-elections were duly held in those cities later in 2011.

But Macuacua defied Frelimo, as did the mayor of Manhica, Alberto Chicamba. They both completed their terms as

mayor, but were not reselected as candidates for the subsequent municipal elections in 2013.

Source: Agencia de Informacao de Moçambique

PRM arrest three men for desecrating the grave of an albino

On Thursday 29 October, the PRM of Inhambane Province arrested three men in Massinga district and charged them with desecrating the grave of an albino citizen, in order to remove his bones, which they intended to sell.

The bones are believed to have been illegally exhumed from a nearby grave of an albino who died in 2011.

The grave robbers told the police that they had come from the northern province of Cabo Delgado, where they worked as informal miners.

They said that they had been promised MT4 million (approximately US$100,000) for the bones of an albino.

They planned to take the bones back to Chiúre district in Cabo Delgado in order to deliver them to a man they named only as Geraldo. Geraldo is allegedly just a middleman, working for a Tanzanian businessman whose name the three did not know.

The Inhambane police say that they caught the grave robbers thanks to an anonymous tip-off. “We received a phone call from an anonymous source last Wednesday night”, said an official in the Massinga district police command.

“He told us of three individuals who were hunting albinos, and that they

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intended to take the bones and sell them in Cabo Delgado”.

Source: @Verdade/O País/Agencia de Informacao de Moçambique

Khálau blames kidnappings on repeat offenders

On Friday 30 October, the General Commander PRM, Jorge Khálau publically said that the upsurge in abductions is the work of repeat offenders and individuals with serious criminal records.

Speaking to journalists in Maputo, Khálau said that the kidnappings are being carried out by individuals who have been released from custody on bail, and return to a life of crime once they are back in society.

Khálau said that there is tension between the PRM and the courts, with the latter acting in good faith and truly believing in rehabilitation when releasing prisoners.

“Citizens have the right to ask for bail, and to be granted probation”, said the commander.

The efforts of the PRM General Command are now directed towards capturing those responsible, in order to return them to the cells to serve stiff sentences.

“We are concerned about abductions, and will continue to combat violent crime, searching for these criminals who create panic”, he said, calling again on the public to report the whereabouts of the kidnappers, if they have information on them.

Asked about the whereabouts of Renamo leader, Afonso Dhlakama, Khálau said that the police had not lost track of him, and that he was never under house arrest. “Dhlakama is free to move around the country like anyone else”, he said.

Looking ahead to the festive season, Khálau urged citizens to co-operate with the PRM to ensure that the holidays are celebrated peacefully.

Source: Notícias

President Nyusi opposes the persecution of albinos

On Friday 30 October, President Filipe Nyusi called on all Mozambicans to vigorously fight against those involved in the abduction and murder of albino citizens.

Speaking in Niassa Province, shortly after he launched the 2015-16 agricultural campaign, President Nyusi said that he found it strange that the persecution of albinos is currently limited to the Northern provinces.

He called on the Mozambican population to reflect on this problem, to remain vigilant and to fight against those who wish to kill albinos. He said that the government has instructed the defence and security forces to neutralise any individuals involved in the persecution of albinos.

“Albinos are normal people, just like anyone else”, he declared.

It is widely believed that the kidnapping and murder of albinos has been encouraged by Tanzanian witchdoctors.

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This would explain why the attacks have been localised in the Northern provinces, since these are the areas closest to Tanzania.

According to a Red Cross report, witchdoctors in Tanzania are prepared to pay up to US$75,000 for albino body parts.

The body parts are then used in black magic rituals or turned into amulets, which supposedly bring the bearer good luck, love or wealth.

On Wednesday 4 November, Prime Minister Agostinho do Rosario said that Mozambique will cooperate with regional countries to stop crimes committed against albino citizens particularly in the northern parts of the country.

“To stop this crime, we will have to involve every family, active voices of the civil society, communities, church and local leaders. The government will cooperate with other countries in the region to guarantee that all albino citizens enjoy their rights,” said the Prime Minister.

The abduction of albinos started to worry the authorities after an increase in the reporting of kidnappings of albinos in the northern region of the country, principally Nampula province.

Last week, the country’s Attorney General, Beatriz Buchili, visited the northern region, promising to double efforts to combat the kidnapping of albinos in Mozambique.

Source: Agencia de Informacao de Moçambique / the Punch

Maputo PRM detain four members of the ‘Homens Catana’ gang

Over the course of the weekend 31 October to 1 November, the PRM of Maputo Province arrested four men in the neighbourhoods of Polana Caniço and Maxaquene.

The four detainees are believed to be members of the ‘Homens Catana’ gang (the machete men). This gang is notorious for using machetes in the commission of their crimes, including residential and business robbery, burglary and physical assault.

During the same period, the PRM arrested a gang of car thieves. During the arrests the PRM confiscated two fire arms and ammunition.

Source: Folha de Maputo

PRM Seize Pumps Used in Illegal Mining

The recently established Natural Resources Protection Police, over the course of the weekend 31 October to 1 November, seized 124 pumps that were being used for illegal mining in the central province of Manica.

The PRM are seeking to combat illegal gold mining activities, which leads to pollution of rivers in Manica. Most of the illegal miners are said to be Zimbabwean citizens.

The Manica provincial PRM Commander, Armando Canheza, said that community leaders in this region support the PRM’s intervention. He urged Manica communities to continue collaborating with the authorities in

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denouncing citizens involved in illegal mining, particularly under cover of night.

The administrator of Manica district, Carlos Malia, recognised the efforts that community authorities have made in fighting against illegal mining, and maintains that this is now being reflected in reduced pollution of the rivers.

Serious concerns have been raised that the use of toxic substances (such as mercury) used by the miners, is poisoning the rivers on which many people depend for their drinking water.

If the companies do comply with the decree then, as from late November, anyone with an unregistered SIM card will be unable to make or receive phone calls or text messages.

Source: All Africa

Human trafficking: give the PIC the necessary tool to fight such crimes

On Monday 2 November, Ana Marrengula, a judge of the Judicial Court of the City of Maputo, presented a lecture entitled “The Phenomenon of Trafficking in Persons”. The lecture was organised by the Ministry of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs, as part of Legality Week.

During the presentation Marrengula argued that the Criminal Investigation Police (PIC) must be afforded the means, working conditions, and legal reforms necessary for them to adequately make use of the special investigative technologies, which will directly assist in efforts to curb crimes such as human trafficking.

Marrengula said that trafficking in persons, especially of women and children, is a deep concern for the SADC member states. She therefore urged member states to seek mechanisms of bilateral and multilateral co-operation for effective mitigation of the problem.

According to Marrengula, the secrecy surrounding the phenomenon hinders the evaluation and magnitude of the problem. However, it is estimated that approximately 2.5 million people are trafficked worldwide each year.

In Mozambique, however, the magnitude of the problem is still relatively unknown, due to the lack of statistical data on human trafficking.

The NGO Save the Children estimates that approximately 300 women and children are trafficked into South Africa per day for sexual exploitation.

According to Marrengula, in Mozambique this activity is characterised by the removal of the victim (usually female) from rural areas. The victim is then transported to urban areas where she is subjected to sexual and/or forced labour exploitation. In some cases the victim is killed and his/her organs are harvested.

In 2011, 24 cases of human trafficking were filed in the Mozambican courts, of which, 10 were charged, four were dropped and the remaining 10 remain under investigation.

In 2013, 30 cases were filed, 15 of which resulted in a prison sentence. In 2014, 38 cases were recorded, 13 of which resulted in a prison sentence,

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while nine were dropped and 16 remain under investigation.

Source: Jornal Notícias

10 Armed Men Raid the Home of the Catholic Archbishop-Emeritus, Cardinal Alexandre dos Santos

A gang of 10 armed men invaded the residence of the Catholic Archbishop-Emeritus of Maputo, Cardinal Alexandre dos Santos. The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday morning 2 November.

Archbishop Santos’ residence is located in the outlying Maputo suburb of Zimpeto. Archbishop Santos’ was not in the house, as he is currently abroad, undergoing medical treatment.

The assailants assaulted a nun and two security guards, before stealing 29,000 meticais (about US$690). The nun received medical care and is now in recovery.

Archbishop Santos’ niece was in the house, but she was not attacked, because she was on the second floor, to which the gang did not gain access. The Cardinal’s niece said that: “I heard screams”, but I did not dare go down. I just telephoned the police and other people in charge of the house”.

When the reporters from “O Pais” arrived on scene, they could see damaged doors, broken windows and traces of blood. A team from the Criminal Investigation Police (PIC) had arrived and was collecting evidence.

The residence is inside a property belonging to a Catholic institution, the St. Thomas University of Mozambique.

It is vulnerable to attack, since there are no other buildings nearby.

Source: AIM & O Pais

Mayor and Concillor for Town Planning Arrested In Maxixe, Mozambique

On Monday 2 November, the PRM arrested the Mayor of the southern city of Maxixe, Simao Rafael. He will most likely face charges corruption charges.

This follows the arrest on Sunday 1 November, of the Maxixe Councillor for town planning, Jacinto Chauque. The arrests come after an investigation into alleged corruption and extortion in the hiring of contractors for municipal public works.

According to 'Mediafax', Mayor Rafael, was arrested after he physically assaulted the Maxixe PRM Commander, Joaquim Nascimento. At the time, the mayor was demanding the unconditional release of Councillor Chauque.

A police officer said that: “He grabbed our commander by the collar”.

Police sources told 'Mediafax' that when Councillor Chauque was arrested, he was in possession of four mobile phones and ZAR4, 000 (estimated US$290). The arrest was based on supposed threats made by Jacinto Chauque against the Maxixe first secretary of the ruling Frelimo Party and the representative of the State in the municipality, both of whom have opposed the current municipal leadership because of perceived signs of corruption.

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Criminal proceedings against Simao Rafael and Jacinto Chauque have been initiated by the Inhambane Provincial branch of the Central Office for the Fight against Corruption (GCCC).

Source: AIM & Mediafax

One freed in Emmanuel Sithole murder trial

The Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday 4 November freed one of the four men accused of the murder of Mozambican national Emmanuel Josias Sithole.

Sithole was killed on 18 April 2015 after demanding money from the accused‚ who had taken cigarettes and sweets from his stall without paying.

Mthinto Bhengu‚ 22‚ Sizwe Mngomezulu‚ 20‚ Sifundo Mzimela‚ 21‚ and a minor all pleaded not guilty to robbing and murdering Sithole.

After the prosecution closed its case on Wednesday‚ Mngomezulu’s lawyer‚ Vhonani Matshidza‚ applied for his client to be discharged‚ arguing that Mngomezulu was a mere bystander and had not actively participated in the attack on Sithole.

Matshidza argued that the fact that a person is present at a scene does not mean they share a common purpose with others present.

Magistrate Lucas van der Schyff agreed and ruled that the state had failed to prove that Mngomezulu had a case to answer.

“If he merely stood there‚ that could not be reason to say he had a common purpose”.

“Accused two [Mngomezulu] was not in a great hurry to reach the scene. In fact, he got there when the stabbing had taken place”.

He said it was possible that Mngomezulu was telling the other accused to go away after they had attacked Sithole.

Van der Schyff said even state witnesses had testified that they did not see Mngomezulu do anything to Sithole.

The trial of Bhengu‚ Mzimela and the minor continues.

Source: Club of Mozambique

WILDLIFE AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Ivory kingpin arrested in Tanzania linked to 15 syndicates in Mozambique, Zambia and Burundi

A notorious elephant poacher and ivory trafficker has been arrested by the Tanzanian law enforcement authorities

after a manhunt that lasted for over a year.

45-year-old Boniface Matthew Mariango (nicknamed “The Devil” or “Shetani” in Kiswahili), was arrested by the National and Transnational Serious Crimes Investigation Unit (NTSCIU). NTSCIU is

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the law enforcement body that was also responsible for the arrest of the infamous “Queen of Ivory” Yang Feng Glan earlier in October 2015.

Mariango managed over 15 poaching syndicates with impunity in Tanzania, Burundi, Zambia, Mozambique and southern Kenya, and is directly responsible for the slaughter of thousands of elephants.

“This arrest is yet another substantial breakthrough in Tanzania’s anti-poaching and anti-trafficking efforts, with implications also reaching into neighbouring countries. Finally, we see big fishes getting caught in the law enforcement net”, said Andrea Crosta, co-founder of the Elephant Action League and the WildLeaks initiative, a US based organisation that investigates wildlife crime around the world.

According to an elephant census, Tanzania lost around 85,000 elephants to poaching between 2009 and 2014. Wildlife conservationists say that the massive Chinese demand for ivory fuels poaching in Africa, and a report by the World Wildlife Fund last month said that Hong Kong, with the world’s largest retail ivory market, also contributes to this.

Ivory imports have been illegal in Hong Kong since 1990, however, the smuggling of ivory from Africa remains prevalent due to an ineffective regulatory system. In September, four attempts to smuggle ivory into Hong Kong were foiled by customs officials at the airport.

Source: Hong Kong Free Press

454 poachers nabbed in Mozambique

The Mozambican government has confirmed that at least 434 people have been arrested and detained for poaching activities between 2014 and 2015.

The Cabinet spokesperson Mouzinho Saide was quoted in the media on Wednesday 4 November, saying that there is an ongoing operation to curb poachers who pose a dangerous threat to the country’s elephant population.

He said poaching has become a major problem and the latest census of elephants showed that between 2009 and 2014, Mozambique lost 10,300 of the animals, representing 48% of its population with numbers falling from 20,000.

Spokesperson Saide said the matter was discussed in the cabinet meeting held on Tuesday 3 November.

“Some 158 poachers were arrested in 2014 alone and his year there has been a significant increase in the number of arrests, with 276 poachers arrested so far”, said Spokesperson Saide.

This year, the authorities seized 1,124 kg of ivory, and 75 kg of rhinoceros horns.

Since both species of African rhinoceros, the black and the white, are believed to be extinct in Mozambique, these horns almost certainly came from animals poached in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.

Mozambique had also incinerated its stores of illicit ivory and rhino horns.

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The incineration, saw over four tonnes of ivory both raw and worked ivory and rhino horns go up in smoke.

This year, he added, the authorities had seized 5,110 snares used by poachers and 55 firearms.

Source: Star Africa

Fight against rhino poaching needs partnerships

The President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, maintains that the battle against rhino poaching cannot be won without partnerships.

“The nature of this challenge requires our collective efforts as a government working with the private sector, communities, civil society and the business sector to ensure that the Integrated Strategic Management approach is successful, not only in South Africa, but also within Africa and in the rest of the world”, he said.

President Zuma visited the Kruger National Park on Sunday 1 November, to lead an anti-rhino poaching awareness day and officially launch the Joint Operation Centre in Skukuza (South Africa).

He was accompanied by the South African Environmental Affairs Minister, Edna Molewa; the Acting Premier of Mpumalanga, VR Shongwe; the Acting Premier of Limpopo, Jerry Ndou; the Chief Executive of South African National Parks (SANParks) Fundisile Mketeni; and community and traditional leaders.

Addressing more than 5,000 community members from Nkomazi and

Bushbuckridge at the Skukuza Soccer Stadium at the end of his visit, President Zuma emphasised the important role that communities and individuals can also play in the fight against rhino poaching.

“I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to all communities living close to, or adjacent to, conservation areas, to be aware of the threats of rhino poaching. Many of you are also aware of the ability of unscrupulous poaching syndicates to exploit vulnerable people in your communities by offering them large amounts of money to kill and dehorn a rhino or an elephant.

“We all can do something to stop that – by blowing the whistle on all wildlife criminals. As proclaimed on World Rhino Day: We can all stand up and proclaim, no more”, said President Zuma.

Earlier in the day, President Zuma witnessed first-hand the extent of rhino poaching in South Africa and the steps being taken by the government to address the matter.

He also witnessed the capture and translocation of a rhino cow within the Kruger National Park to a facility where she will become a foster parent to rhino calves orphaned by poaching.

President Zuma paid tribute to the efforts of rangers during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Ranger Memorial at the Kruger Gate after inspecting a guard of honour formed by Kruger National Park rangers.

Almost every day the rangers engage in conflict with alleged poachers and have dedicated their lives to ensuring the

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survival of this key member of the Big Five.

Unveiling the Joint Operations Centre at Skukuza, President Zuma, said that: “Today I witnessed first-hand what is being done by our brave men and women to combat rhino poaching and other wildlife crimes here in the Kruger National Park”.

Since the declaration of rhino poaching as a national security threat in 2011, government has increased efforts aimed at curbing the scourge.

Cabinet approved the Integrated Strategic Management Approach to Rhino Poaching in 2014.

The need for a strengthened approach, particularly on information co-ordination and strengthening of partnerships with neighbouring countries, law enforcement authorities as well as communities surrounding parks have been prioritised.

The key aspects of this programme are managing rhino populations, compulsory interventions – including proactive anti-poaching measures, international and national collaboration and co-operation, as well as long-term sustainability measures.

Significant progress has been made with regard to the implementation of the interventions.

One of the key milestones in the fight against poaching has been the establishment of the Mission Area Joint Operation Centre in the Kruger National Park by the South African Police Service (SAPS) to co-ordinate operations against rhino poaching by all affected

government institutions. These are the Departments of Environmental Affairs and Defence, the SAPS, SANParks and provincial conservation agencies.

The centre was established to co-ordinate operations against rhino poaching by all affected government institutions. It receives all operational information including intelligence, control airspace, command, and utilising such information for law enforcement purposes.

President Zuma said that the centre had already seen good results with Operation Rhino which is set to run until 2018.

“We have recorded a number of successes due to improved information sharing, part of our game-changing interventions that include disrupting criminal syndicates.

“We are pleased to announce that joint situational awareness through electronic means and live-streaming of information now informs in-time decision making, faster reaction and more often proactive operations.

“This enables us to employ resources more intelligently and to be one step ahead of the poachers and their bosses”.

South Africa has also increased its international co-operation with regard to rhino poaching. Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) have been signed with Vietnam, China, Cambodia and Mozambique.

“These international partnerships are key to ensuring that the fight against poaching and illegal trade is addressed

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internationally, in light of the international nature of the crime”, said President Zuma.

The MoU with Mozambique in the field of Biodiversity Conservation and Management was signed on 17 April 2014.

President Zuma met with President Filipe Nyusi in October to discuss a wide range of bilateral, regional and international matters, including collaboration between South Africa and Mozambique in ensuring a co-ordinated fight against poaching.

The South Africa-Mozambique Bi-National Commission chaired by the two heads of state was launched. It is a strategic mechanism through which the countries will structure relations going forward.

During his visit to the Joint Operations Centre, President Zuma viewed an extensive collection of counter-poaching equipment that, in line with continued bilateral co-operation and support, will be handed over to Mozambique’s Environmental Police in November 2015.

This donation was made possible by a partnership between SANParks and Peace Parks Foundation, under the auspices of the Rhino Protection Programme, to assist in strengthening Mozambique’s environmental law enforcement efforts.

In the coming month, Peace Parks Foundation will also deliver a small plane called the Savannah Light Sport Aircraft to the Limpopo National Park to assist them with aerial support.

In support of Mozambique’s developing socio-economic opportunities associated with the wildlife economy, South Africa and Mozambique have completed the Second Phase of the introduction of a number game species in the Limpopo National Park.

Rhino, as key members of the Big Five, contribute to job creation in rural communities, particularly those adjacent to conservation areas.

They contribute to local economic growth through eco-tourism and the local and foreign visitors to the reserves in communities every year.

Source: SAnews.gov.za

Less than 10,000 elephants left in Mozambique

Approximately 10,000 elephants have been slaughtered across the country over the past five years by indiscriminate poachers.

This is according to the head of the Department of Supervision of the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), Carlos Lopes, who was speaking in Pemba (Cabo Delgado Province), moments after presenting the Elephant Census during the fourth national meeting of conservation areas.

According to Lopes, the latest census of the elephant population reveals that only 1,300 individual elephants exist in the province, a worrying decline from the national elephant population of 50,000, recorded in 1950.

Lopes maintains that the predominant reason behind the considerable drop in numbers is poaching. Elephant

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poaching is particularly prevalent in the provinces of Cabo Delgado and Niassa, especially in the south were elephant populations once thrived.

According to Lopes, 95% of the elephants lost to poaching were killed in the northern part of the country, specifically in the Niassa Reserve and the Quirimbas National Park.

When asked about what could be done on order to curb the poaching, Lopes replied that deeper co-ordination must be urgently established between the conservation areas, the police unit for the protection of natural resources and environment, and neighbouring countries such as Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Source: Folha de Maputo

Fingerprint test to nab ivory poachers

According to new research, police officers may soon be able to identify wildlife poachers by retrieving fingerprints from smuggled ivory.

Approximately 50,000 African elephants are thought to be poached each year, but it had been thought almost impossible to retrieve fingerprints from ivory because of its ridges and porous surface, making it difficult for wildlife police to prosecute poachers.

Now a collaboration between academics at King’s College London, University College London and the Metropolitan Police has resulted in a new technique to retrieve fingerprints from the material for the first time.

The new technique, which is documented in the Science & Justice Journal, uses an advanced form of fingerprinting powder and prepares the ground for the use of fingerprinting in the field.

The new study tested three new types of powder on elephant tusks on loan from the Metropolitan Police Service’s wildlife unit. It found that powders that are composed of smaller particles allowed scientists to better identify fingerprints.

“This is the first time that fingerprinting on ivory has been thoroughly investigated and a practical solution offered”, said Dr Leon Barron, a lecturer in forensic science at King’s College London.

“The only other study carried out over a decade ago simply showed that fingerprints were unstable and that the clarity of ridge detail was low, making it difficult to make reliable identifications”.

The new powders are most effective when used within seven days after a print was deposited, suggesting the method would work best in the field. However, experts found that they were still able to lift some usable prints up to 28 days after they were deposited. The researchers also found that the tests also work for rhino ivory, hippo teeth and sperm whale teeth.

The trade in ivory was banned in 1989 by international agreement, but a black market continues to thrive; with an estimated population of less than half a million animals in the wild, the ongoing African poaching problem is rapidly driving the species towards extinction.

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Earlier this year scientists were able to use DNA testing on ivory for the first time to locate the poaching hotspots. They found that most illegally poached ivory can be traced back to just two areas of Africa; Tanzania and nearby parts of Mozambique.

Scientists hope that the new fingerprinting technique will allow wildlife police in both countries to identify poachers more easily.

Gary Pugh, the director of forensic services at the Metropolitan Police, said that: “The equipment required to put this form of fingerprinting into practice is inexpensive and relatively easy to procure, making it a cost-effective forensic tool to combat wildlife crime”.

Last month, wildlife campaigners welcomed a signal from Xi Jinping, the Chinese President, that the country would ban the commercial trade in ivory in the next few years. The Chinese market drives demand for ivory and a ban there would be a major step towards ending the poaching crisis that is decimating Africa’s elephant herds.

Source: The Independent

Third shark attack in Inhambane in two months

A young fishermen lost both his arms in a shark attack on Sunday 1 November, in the Bay of Inhambane, in southern Mozambique.

The attack took place in shallow water when the fisherman, 19-year-old Albino Ernesto, was fishing for prawns at approximately 16:00hrs.

According to reports, the shark first struck at Ernesto’s legs, knocking him down. As he struggled to haul his catch ashore, the shark struck at his arms. After a brief struggle, Ernesto managed to break free of the shark’s teeth, but he was severely injured.

He was rushed to Chicuque rural hospital in Maxixe district. The shark had virtually severed both arms from his body, and the medical team believed there was no option but to amputate them. After the operation, the doctors said that Ernesto was out of danger.

This is the third shark attack in the Bay of Inhambane in the last two months. All the victims have been fishermen, and all the attacks took place in shallow water. In the first attack, a fisherman lost an arm, and in the second a woman was bitten on her buttocks and died later in hospital.

The attacks have spread fear among Inhambane fishing communities and unsuccessful attempts have been made to catch and kill the shark.

The Maritime Administration authorised the hunt, and a team of around 60 fishermen, biologists and local officials were mobilised. They have hunted the shark for the past two weeks or so, but seem no nearer to catching it.

Some biologists believe that the hunt is misguided. Sandra Silva, of the Biology Department of Maputo’s Eduardo Mondlane University, pointed out that no-one knows whether the same animal was responsible for all three attacks. Indeed it is not even clear which species of shark was involved. Several species of sharks known to have attacked people are found in Mozambican

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waters, and at least two of them can hunt in shallow water.

Silva thought it would make more sense to alert people to the dangers they may face when fishing and how they can protect themselves.

“The shark didn’t come out of the water to attack us”, she said. “It’s we who have gone into its habitat, looking for food”.

Source: Agencia de Informacao de Moçambique

OTHER

Water supply to Maputo to increase – four years from now

The water storage capacity of the river Incomáti is expected to grow by approximately one billion cubic metres by the end of 2019, enabling the expansion of water supply projects to the Maputo metropolitan area as well as irrigation and manufacturing.

According to estimates from water company ARA-Sul, the development is based on new sluice gates at the Corumana Dam, as well as the construction of the Moamba Major Dam, the financing for which is already available and work is underway.

With the construction of the Moamba Major Dam, costing just over US$466 million, it will be possible to store 760 million cubic metres of water. The remaining 300 to 400 million cubic

metres will be guaranteed with the placement of the sluice gates at the Corumana Dam.

According to ARA-Sul, the installation of the sluice gates at Corumana will make it possible to store as much water as the Pequenos Libombs Dam, which cost approximately US$400 million. Completion of the works at Corumana will provide a total of 1.2 billion cubic metres, or an increase of 30% of the current capacity, which is around 800 million.

The two dams are considered key to guaranteeing the water supply to the capital and also to accommodate development planned for the next 20-50 years.

Studies conducted by Ara-Sul indicate that a water harvesting system with an initial capacity of 60,000 metres per day

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)

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could be installed at Corumana. In the second phase there are plans to double water catchment capacity to 120,000 cubic metres per day.

The construction project for a new treatment plant and five pumping stations along a main channel 95 kilometres long, to carry water from Corumana, was recently awarded to a Belgian consortium.

Estimates point to a need for just over 67 million cubic metres of water per year to supply the city of Maputo.

Source: Macauhub

Approximately 71,000 people suffer the effects of drought in Gaza

Approximately 71,000 people are suffering the effects of the drought situation in Gaza Province.

According to reports, the situation is considered to be “critical” in the districts of Chicualacuala, Massangena, Mabalane, Guija, Massingir and Chigubo. In a bid to minimise the devastating effects, the provincial government has implemented numerous initiatives which include the construction of multifunctional boreholes and the distribution of water via trucks and tractors, among other solutions.

According to the National Institute for Disaster Management (INGC) in Gaza, four boreholes have been opened in Queque, Titite Saúte and Undlopfu in Chigubo and a study is being conducted for the supply of water in Zinhane.

In Chigubo, Bilene and Massingir, two water tanks each containing 5,000 litres of water have been dispersed.

The water is being utilised for human consumption, animal consumption and for agriculture.

Source: Folha de Maputo

Five million Mozambicans face food insecurity

Close to five million people (roughly 1.1 million households) from across the country face chronic food insecurity. The situation is particularly serious in the provinces of Tete, Niassa, Zambézia and Manica.

According to the Technical Secretariat for Food Security and Nutrition (SETSAN), female-headed households and rural areas display the highest rates of chronic food insecurity.

Chronic malnutrition in children under the age of five remains a problem in Mozambique, with statistics from 2013 showing that very little, if any, improvements had been made since 2011.

According to the representative of SETSAN, Edgar Cossa, “The national prevalence of underweight women in 2013 reduced to 8.4% against 9.8% in 2011. This indicator suggests that there have been improvements in food consumption by women, among other factors”.

In order to reverse this scenario, the government approved a Multi-Stakeholder Action Plan for the Reduction of Chronic Malnutrition [PAMRDC 2011-2015 (2020)], which identified 17 priority measures to be carried out.

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The specific interventions focused on supplementation for mothers, breastfeeding and complementary feeding, diet diversification, management of severe acute malnutrition and nutrition interventions in emergency situations.

It also provides for multi-sectoral intervention in agriculture and food security, maternal mental health, early childhood development, women’s empowerment, child protection, education, water and sanitation and health services and family planning.

Source: Jornal Notícias

Drought kills more than 40 cattle in Gaza

The provincial livestock services in Gaza report that a severe drought swept through the Northern Part of Gaza province, killing an estimated 40 cattle. A representative of the Delgado province’s provincial Livestock Services in Gaza, Constantine Banze, said the situation has also affected the Chigubo.

Constantine Banze said that in response to the situation animals affected by the severe draught will be relocated to areas considered stable.

Source: Folha De Maputo

Inspector of Labour detects irregularities in construction

The Inspector-General of Labour (IGT) has detected irregularities at 34 construction companies in the provinces of Gaza, Inhambane and Niassa.

In visits to companies conducted during the course of the week 23 to 30

October, the IGT found a lack of collective insurance against occupational accidents and diseases.

As part of its programme, the IGT held lectures for 1,672 workers, in a bid to increase awareness of the importance of wearing personal protective equipment for the prevention of occupational hazards and the need for compliance with duties and rights in the workplace.

Last week the IGT inspected 45 non-governmental organisations and suspended two expatriate workers found working illegally. During the inspections, which covered 1,721 workers, the IGT made the NGOs aware of the need to respect the country’s labour laws, including those on the hiring of skilled foreign workers.

Source: Lusa

Beer that killed 75 in Mozambique brewed with toxic flour

A homemade beer that killed 75 drinkers at a funeral in Mozambique earlier this year was brewed with contaminated flour, health authorities have said on Wednesday 4 November, ruling out deliberate poisoning.

Hundreds of people drank the beer, with dozens found dead in their homes later in the day and others rushed to a local hospital with diarrhoea and severe muscle aches.

A total of 232 people were affected, and 75 died in the incident in the village of Chitima in the northwest of Mozambique.

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"The victims were poisoned by the homemade beer which had been contaminated by a toxic bacteria found in the corn flour used to brew it”, Ilesh Jani, director of Mozambique's Health Institute, told reporters.

The woman who brewed the opaque beer and several members of her family were among the dead. Some local media had initially speculated that the beer was laced with crocodile bile, a powerful toxin. But tests conducted in the United States identified burkholderia gladioli, a bacteria found in the flour as the source of the poisoning.

Cases of similar poisoning from the same potent bacteria have in the past been reported in Indonesia and China, according to Jani.

Source: News 24

First rains disrupt road traffic on the N113 between Ile and Gurué

Provincial Director of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources in Zambezia, Américo Chuvale, confirmed on Wednesday 4 November that the traffic flow on the National Highway 113 between Ile and Gurue in northern Zambezia province, had been cut since Tuesday 3 November due to flooding.

The rainfall caused the Sikwa and Mutuasse rivers to overflow. Ile-Namarroi Namarroi-Gurue, Nampevo-Gurue, Mocuba-Nampevo, Mopeia-Luabo and Luabo-Chinde roads might also experience interruption should the rain continue.

Source: Club of Mozambique

Confirmed cholera outbreak in the city of Mocuba

The health authorities in the central Mozambican province of Zambézia have confirmed an outbreak of cholera in the province's second largest city, Mocuba.

The provincial director of health, Idayat Cassimo, informed a meeting of the provincial government, of the outbreak on Wednesday 4 November. He said that samples collected from ten patients suffering from severe diarrhoea had confirmed the presence of the bacterium vibrio cholerae, which causes the disease.

The treatment centre adjacent to the Mocuba Rural Hospital has so far treated 137 suspected cholera cases, of whom 49 are still hospitalized.

So far one person has died in the outbreak with about 30 people a day are going to the centre for treatment.

Effort are being made to control the situation, with health staff working in coordination with community authorities in publicizing the hygiene measures, including purification of drinking water, needed to prevent cholera and other diarrhoeal diseases. The health authorities guarantee that they have enough medicines in stock to treat 1,000 cases of cholera.

Source: All Africa/ O Pais

END