FLASH HIGHLIGHT NEWS POLITICS & SOCIETY
NYUSI: New President of FRELIMO
The Central Committee of Mozambique’s ruling Frelimo Party on Sunday elected, with near unanimity, Filipe Nyusi to become the new President of the party, following Armando Guebuza’s resignation earlier in the day.
Other candidates could have stood, but in the event Nyusi was unopposed. In the secret ballot election he received 186 votes. There were two blank ballots and one invalid vote.
Immediately after taking office as the new Frelimo President, Nyusi promised to work “for effective peace, because it is only with peace that we shall develop Mozambique”.
Nyusi said he was well aware of the heavy burden that now falls on his shoulders – but believed he would receive the unstinting support of his two predecessors (Armando Guebuza and Joaquim Chissano) and of all other party members, so that Frelimo can continue to implement its agenda in support of the welfare of the Mozambican people.
“I shall be open to contributions from all our partners”, said Nyusi. “I shall not deviate from the main agenda of our party, which seeks to do all for the good of the Mozambican people”
Thus Frelimo has returned to the historical norm, whereby the posts of President of the Republic and President of Frelimo are held by the same person.
Last week it seemed briefly possible that this tradition would be broken. On Wednesday, at a press conference preceding the opening of the Central Committee meeting, the party’s spokesperson, Damiao Jose, said that the question of who would succeed Guebuza was not on the meeting’s agenda. The succession, Jose claimed, “is not a concern for the Party”.
Guebuza had been re-elected President of Frelimo at the Party’s Tenth Congress, held in the northern city of Pemba in 2012. Jose said that Guebuza would complete his term of office – meaning he would only leave the presidency at the next Frelimo congress, scheduled for 2017.
At the opening of the Central Committee meeting on Thursday, Guebuza gave a combative speech which may have been his undoing. He criticized unnamed members of Frelimo who
“publicly undertook activities which disturbed the normal functioning of the party bodies”, and which would only “generate division and confusion among us”.
One respected Frelimo veteran, Jorge Rebelo, the former head of the Frelimo ideology department, immediately denounced this speech as an attempt to “intimidate” Central Committee members so that they would not raise “relevant questions”. Although Rebelo was the only senior figure who went public with his concerns, it is now clear that they were
widely shared.
By Sunday Guebuza’s position had become untenable, and he recognized it. Announcing the resignation, Damiao Jose told reporters “Comrade Armando Guebuza said he had undertaken a profound reflection and, in order to maintain the unity and cohesion of Frelimo, taking into account the moment we are living through, and after consulting some party comrades, he reached the conclusion that now was the appropriate moment to resign”.
From this statement, it seems that Guebuza accepted that by remaining in office he would endanger “the unity and cohesion of Frelimo”.
Although Jose said that Central Committee members were “surprised” by the resignation, they moved quickly to fill the vacancy, immediately setting up an elections commission and inviting candidates. Nobody was in the mood to challenge Nyusi’s right to succeed Guebuza.
Nyusi’s rise has been meteoric. He was virtually unknown, and had held no government position until Guebuza appointed him Defence Minister in 2008. He was elected to the Frelimo Central Committee at the Pemba Congress in 2012.
At a meeting in February-March 2014, the Central Committee elected Nyusi the party’s candidate for the October presidential election. In the internal election Nyusi defeated better-
known candidates, including the then Prime Minister (Alberto Vaquina) and two former Prime Ministers (Luisa Diogo and Aires Ali).
At the relatively young age of 55, Nyusi won the election with 57 per cent of the votes. Fears that he might still be overshadowed by Guebuza have been dispelled, and Nyusi now combines the authority of head of state with that of President of the ruling party.
http://www.jornalnoticias.co.mz
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Dhlakama On Chimoio's Clashes: "They Will Pay This Debt In Triple"
Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama, condemned the clashes involving his supporters and the Mozambican police in Chimoio, central Mozambique, considering the prohibition of the largest rally opposition party “an unpleasant prank”.
Mozambican police and supporters of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) were involved in clashes when authorities banned a rally by the party leader in venue usually used for for Dhlakama’s meetings in Chimoio, capital of Manica province, central Mozambique, reports Lusa.
"It was an unpleasant prank and a clear provocation by the police," Dhlakama told Lusa as he left the ‘7 de Setembro’ field, where the rally was moved and took place, starting at around 17:40, almost two hours later than planned, in order to allow thousands of people who packed the new improvised place to walk from the Municipal Stadium to the new venue.
"It would be beneath me to respond to this provocation," said Dhlakama, who classified the population and his supporters as "living heroes" for having overcome the fear of clashes with police and headed to the rally’s new location, where he spoke standing in from a car with a megaphone box, Lusa reports.
According to police, the rally, which was to start at 15:30 on the Chimoio Municipal Stadium had no permit and a security cordon was set up that Renamo supporters tried to cross.
Initially, those trying to cross were only members of the organization that intended to recover the chairs, flags and other party symbols from inside the stadium, but they were soon followed by population willing to occupy the grounds.
The elements of PRM, Police of the Republic of Mozambique, FIR, Rapid Intervention Force and Special Operative Group responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and also with live ammunition.
According to the director of the Provincial Police, José Roberto, arrests and injuries in undisclosed number resulted from the clashes but none of them was due to the use of live ammunition, ensuring that agents that used real bullets will be punished.
Renamo guard elements also moved up to the scene with orders to calm the population.
One Renamo guard even slapped a police officer, but confrontation did not spread to the armed men from the opposition party.
"The debt stays with them [the Police and the City Council, responsible for the Stadium’s management]. They will pay this debt in triple," Dhlakama said, cited by Lusa.
On Tuesday, men of the Renamo guard pushed members of the Rapid Intervention Force that barred their passage, before another Dhlakama rally, in Manica district.
Source: http://www.clubmozambique.com
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Mozambique study shows dismally low rate of contraceptive use
The vast majority of young Mozambican women do not use contraception, and are thus exposed to the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (including HIV-AIDS) and unwanted pregnancies.
This was the depressing conclusion from a four month study (January and February 2014, for the baseline, and June and July for the final assessment) held in the southern city of Matola and Vilankulo district, in Inhambane province, by the NGO Pathfinder International, in partnership with the project “The Evidence to Action” (E2A), and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Only eight per cent of the young women in the study’s sample were using contraceptives.
Announcing the results of the study at a Maputo press conference on Friday, Pathfinder Representative Riaz Mobacaraly, said that five per cent of 15 year old Mozambican girls are already mothers, and this figure rises to 63 per cent among 19 year olds.
“These are very high figures for adolescents and children who are becoming mothers in Mozambique”, said Mobacaraly.
Health Ministry representative Inusso Rafael said that premature marriages and the low rate of contraceptive use were serious problems for the health sector, and he hoped that partnerships with NGOs such as Pathfinder could reduce the scale of the problems.
Pathfinder has designed a programme known as mCenas, wich uses mobile phone text messages to fight against child marriages and to spread information about sexual and reproductive health.
In the first three months of implementation, mCenas reached 2,000 youths. Pathfinder regards this figure as indicative of success and plans to continue using mCenas as a vehicle for sexual education.
Pathfinder says that the youths (aged 15 to 24) enrolled in mCenas have used the interactive menu to send over 10,000 requests for information, including information on contraceptive methods.
Pathfinder describes itself as “a global leader in sexual and reproductive health”, while E2A is described as USAID’s “flagship programme for strengthening reproductive health service delivery”.
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ECONOMY
Agreed Mozambican Minimum Wages Kept Secret
The Labour Consultative Commission (CCT), the tripartite negotiating body between the Mozambican government, the trade unions and the employers’ associations, on Friday reached consensus about this year’s increase in the statutory minimum wage – but refused to give reporters any details.
The Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Vitoria Diogo, who chaired the meeting, resisted pressure from the journalists to reveal the percentage increases, merely reiterating that the three sides had reached consensus.
“It’s not up to the CCT to reveal the decision”, Diogo said. “The CCT is just one stage. It has negotiated, and now it is taking the matter to the government, which is the body that takes the final decision. If the CCT were to make an announcement, it would be putting the cart in front of the horse. We are taking it to the government, the government takes the decision, and then it makes the announcement”.
It would, however, be unprecedented for the government to reject a proposal reached by consensus among all three partners on the CCT.
Diogo added that the government announcement will be made before 1 May, International Workers Day. If past practice is followed, the wage increases will be backdated to 1 April.
Diogo stressed that wage increases must be in line with the current reality of Mozambique. “I think it’s important to mention that this entire process must take the country’s reality into account”, she said. “That is, the reality of the various sectors, because they are different segments. We have achieved what is possible, but always in the hope that in 2015 matters
will improve”.
There is no longer a single statutory minimum wage. Instead the minimum wage is set by sectors, and there are nine of these, namely:
1. Agriculture, livestock and forestry 2. Fisheries.
3. Mining
4. Manufacturing industry
5. Electricity, gas and water.
6. Building industry.
7. Non-financial services.
8. Financial services.
9. State apparatus (including defence and security).
Since there are also sub-sectors, there can be as many as 14 separate statutory minimum wages. The government only imposes a minimum wage: wages above the minimum are subject to collective bargaining between employers and unions in each company.
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PRM seizes 17 rhinos horn
Ilegal Trade
Seventeen tips of rhinos were seized in Maputo province, specifically on National Highway Number Four (EN4), last Thursday. Three people were arrested in connection to this incident.
However, the alleged traffickers say they do not know what they carried in the vehicle.
Chabane Abuchire, born in Cabo Delgado, says he was hired to lead the drive to Maputo Beira. Another suspected man claims that the owners of the tips of rhinos are two Asian citizens, were in Mahlampswene police station to be heard by the police. "My cousin works for Abuchire three Chinese. They are the owners of the tips. The three were here, but the police did not stop them, "he said.
The arrest comes at a time where poaching is accelerating the extinction of species conserved, as is the case of rhinos and elephants, the most sought after by traffickers.
Source: http://www.opais.com
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South African ESKOM may ImportMozambican Gas
The South African company Eskom is on research concerning the possibility of importing gas from Mozambique, said the company's chairman, Cyril Ramaphosa, in a meeting with parliamentarians in Cape Town.
According to Bloomberg news agency, citing the company's president, the possibility of importing gas is part of the company's strategy to diversify sources of power, mainly looking for contracts with a longer term, at a time when Eskom faced with frequent light cuts.
With a potential for exploitation of 200 trillion cubic feet, projects led by Anadarko and Eni may place Mozambique among the largest exporters of LNG, with the deadline for the start of commercial operation set by companies and the government for 2018.
Along with Eskom, the Asian market is also lurking gas that will be produced in the country.
However, China is seen as one of the main destinations of the gas when the operation starts, at best, in 2018.
Source: www.opais.com
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Mozambique's roaming charges are too high, says minister
Mozambique’s Minister of Transport and Communications, Carlos Mesquita, has called for a reduction in the exorbitant roaming fees charged by the country’s mobile phone companies, reports the independent television station, STV.
Speaking to reporters in the southern district of Vilankulo, where he was attending a meeting of the Communications Regulators Association of Southern Africa (CRASA), Mesquita said that a Mozambican who uses roaming elsewhere in southern Africa can pay around one US dollar a minute for each call made or received (and about a third of that for each text message sent).
He said these charges are extremely high and should be reduced. The result of the high roaming charges is that Mozambicans abroad just buy new SIM cards for any country they are visiting, in order to save money.
Mesquita said reducing the charges made sense in terms of regional integration, and of reducing costs of financial transactions between member countries of SADC (Southern African Development Community).
Mesquita also warned that the expansion of mobile phone services within Mozambique must be accompanied by quality and reliability. He noted there have been cases where problems with one or other of the three mobile phone operators have cut communications with entire district capitals for days at a time. There was now a growing number of complaints against the poor quality of the services offered by the operators.
Among the matters under discussion at the Vilankulo meeting are harmonization of roaming costs, the strategy for expanding broad band in rural areas, and limitations on the electromagnetic radiation produced by mobile phone operators.
There are regular scares about the radiation issued by mobile phones, including wild claims that cell phones cause cancer.
The general manager of the Mozambican regulatory body, the National Communications Institute of Mozambique (INCM), Americo Muchanga, said there is no record of anybody contracting illnesses because of exposure to the electromagnetic radiation associated with cell phones.
Nonetheless, the government wants greater rigour on controlling such radiation, and intends to acquire machines that will measure the intensity of radioactivity around cell phone towers.
If any radioactivity is discovered at levels regarded as dangerous, corrective measures will be taken.
It is pretty much certain that no such measures will be needed, since exhaustive studies have failed to show any link between cell phones and cancer, or any other serious illness.
Source: http://www.opais.co.mz
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Tourism transact millions of dollars
TRANSACTIONS of members of the Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators of Mozambique (Avitum) increases form 30 million dollars a month.
According to a statement from the association, such transactions include domestic and international air tickets, accommodation, transfers of tourists, car hire, excursions and other activities such as conferences and seminars.
Noor Momade recently reappointed to the post of president of the association, is quoted as saying that currently existing in Avitum, 62 members, with the affiliated travel agencies to employ 434 workers.
Commenting on the development of tourism in Mozambique, the official stressed that "the sector is not progressing at the same level level of investment" made in new hotels, car rental companies and tour operators, as demand does not match the pace of supply growth.
In this context, Noor Momade, called for more attention to the Government sector, suggesting the facilitation of issuance of visas border, "similar to what happens in Angola".
The president of Avitum also pointed out the need to reduce the tariffs for domestic flights, as well as increased frequency, in order to encourage the mobility of tourists within Mozambique.
However, the source informed that for a while, Mozambique offers in the region a huge business opportunity, "in addition to Mozambicans who frequently visit South Africa, we are the gateway to the region through the airlines that fly to Maputo, as is the case of TAP Air Portugal, QATAR, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airways among others. "
"It's recognizing this potential and the strategic role of Avitum the South African Tourism has offered to work with us to facilitate the knowledge of South African tourist destinations in Mozambique and help make it even easier to enjoy quality tourism in the region" he said.
Source: http://www.jornalnoticias.co.mz
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Gorongosa Restoration at the Coimbra University
The ADMINISTRATOR Gorongosa National Park, Matthew Mutemba, will utter, tomorrow, at the Coimbra University, Portugal, a lecture on the restoration project on the the main Mozambican conservation area.
The initiative is part of the UNESCO Chair in Biodiversity and Conservation for Sustainable Development at the Coimbra University, the first UNESCO Chair in Portugal, in the field of Natural Sciences.
Promote and enhance the development of training programs, research and development in higher education through the creation of inter-university networks, stimulating international cooperation through the transfer of knowledge, are the objectives of UNESCO Chairs betting also in the creation of centers of excellence for the specialized studies and advanced research with the support of the international community.
Source: http://www.jornalnoticias.co.mz
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INTERNATIONAL
Source: http://www.opais.com
FIGHT AGAINST Ebola IN WEST AFRICA: Conakry renews health emergency
GUINEA-CONAKRY said Saturday, the 28th, the health emergency in areas that still continue to have many cases of Ebola to halt spread of the virus. The neighbouring Sierra Leone concluded last three days of confinement of the population intended to advance the fight against the epidemic.
The Guinea had already established the "national health emergency" on 23th of August 2014.
On Saturday, the 28th, was proclaimed the "enhanced health emergency" in the south western and western regions that have become the epicentre of the epidemic, to prevent the spread of the virus.
The decision announced by President Alpha Condé, in a statement to the nation, will be in effect for 45 days and covers "a densely populated area, (where) the epidemic poses a real risk" for the country, he said.
"In Conakry (the capital) stringent measures will also be taken to strengthen surveillance," as President Condé.
In the opinion of Alpha Condé, the efforts made since August 2014 "allowed significant improvements" in the fight against Ebola.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Sierra Leone, another of the three West African countries seriously affected by Ebola, the authorities have expressed confidence in the progress of the fight against the epidemic, thanks to the confinement of the population for the second time in six months.
Since the 6.00 hours (8.00 am in Maputo) Friday, the 27th, to 18.00 (20.00) yesterday, the 29th, the six million Sierra Leoneans were forced to stay at home, which gave capital Freetown and other large cities look like cities lifes, according to AFP journalists and other witnesses.
As in the first general confinement in September 2014, were only visible in the streets health workers, security forces or duly authorized persons, as well as 26,000 volunteers mobilizing door-to-door activities.
According to the latest report of the World Health Organization (WHO) of 22 March current, Guinea Conakry, Liberia and Sierra Leone have more than 99 percent of the more than 10,300 deaths identified in about 25,000 cases of Ebola recorded since the epidemic began a year ago. The three neighboring West African defined aim to reach zero cases in mid-April this year.*
http://www.jornalnoticias.co.mz
