Government prioritizes power generation

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POLITICS & SOCIETY

Government prioritizes power generation

THE GOVERNMENT considers crucial that the different sources of generation are sustainably harvested for energy so that it serves for the development.

That position was defended yesterday in Maputo, by the President, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, for whom energy is also "an economic potential that our country has and should be used to meet the major development concerns."

"Sometimes we think only of the gas, but we must address energy as an economic potential that our country has to address major concerns we have," he said.

The President was speaking at a round table that brought together in his cabinet several sensitivities fields to discuss about the best ways to explore the potential that the country offers this segment.

According to the statesman, in addition to domestic consumption, energy must be thought of the export point of view, so that it must be made available given issues such as quality and viability.

Nyusi also referred about integrated strategies for exploitation of energy resources and greater diversification of sources to enable the sector so that it can meet the challenges of the future.

"Previous governments have done the homework which is the mapping of activities," he said.

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In addition to this theme the head of state also elected other topics such as agriculture, fisheries, tourism, livestock, among others that shall be given to a gender approach, he said,

"we share the thought and support positively to those who must exercise this activity and assign more authority and legitimacy. "

On the occasion, the Head of State realized that the Government has just submitted to parliament the Five Year Plan that, unlike the previous ones, look at the sectors in an integrated manner and not by thematic areas.

The Five-Year Plan indicates as a priority the consolidation of national unity, peace and strengthening of sovereignty. Other priorities are the development of human capital, promotion of employment, productivity and competitiveness; development of economic and social infrastructure and the last to ensure the sustainable management of natural resources and environment.

The supporting pillars are: consolidation of State of democratic law, good governance and decentralization; promoting balanced macroeconomic environment, and sustained international cooperation.

Source: http://www.jornalnoticias.co.mz

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Guebuza to rule Frelimo until 2017

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Former president Armando Guebuza is due to complete his term as Frelimo leader, only leaving office at the 11th congress in 2017, party spokesperson Damiao Jose said at a press conference on Wednesday

It has been widely suggested, both inside and outside Frelimo, that current president Filipe Nyusi should take over from Guebuza as party leader, but Jose insisted that the succession “is not a concern for the Party”.

Jose said that the draft agenda for the meeting, drawn up by the Party’s Political Commission, had been circulated to all Central Committee members a fortnight ago. So far no Central Committee members have suggested that the meeting should add the question of the succession, or any other issue, to the agenda.

When news agency AIM asked Jose if the Central Committee will fix a date for the Congress, and might consider bringing it forward, he replied that this issue is not on the agenda either.

“We have heard voices from outside the party saying it is necessary for Filipe Nyusi to become President of the Party”, said Jose. Some of them, he claimed, were the same people who, when Guebuza was head of state, demanded that he separate his state and party functions.

He insisted that the succession is “not an issue” inside Frelimo and that “there is no bipolarization of the party”.

He denied that Nyusi’s authority as President of the Republic is in any way weakened by Guebuza remaining as head of Frelimo.

“We remain united and cohesive”, he declared. “Frelimo under Guebuza chose Nyusi as its candidate for the 2014 elections. Under Guebuza, Frelimo and Nyusi were victorious in the elections. There is no way that the same Frelimo would now create obstacles for a Frelimo government”.

If Jose is right, then this week’s Central Committee meeting will mark a major break with Frelimo tradition. Ever since Mozambican independence in 1975, the posts of President of the Republic and President of Frelimo have been held by the same person – with the brief exception of February 2005. Then a position analogous to today occurred – Armando Guebuza was sworn in as President of the Republic while Joaquim Chissano was still President of Frelimo.

But at the Central Committee meeting of March 2005, Chissano resigned, and Guebuza was smoothly elected to take his place.

Something similar could still happen this week. Jose admitted that the Central Committee could alter the agenda proposed by the Political Commission. But that would not be known until a vote was taken on the agenda at the opening of the meeting on Thursday morning.

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At the moment, the main agenda points are reports on the performance of the Political Commission, the Central Committee Secretariat and the Frelimo parliamentary group, an analysis of the October 2014 general elections, and a discussion on the key documents that the government will present to the parliamentary sitting due to start next week – the government’s five year programme for 2015-2019, and the Social and Economic Plan and State Budget for this year.

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Cistac Murder: Foreign Diplomats in Mozambique Press Nyusi

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Monday met separately with African and European Union diplomats accredited in Maputo who expressed concern about the political tensions in the country and the unsolved murder of constitutional lawyer Gilles Cistac.

Cistac was murdered outside a central Maputo café in broad daylight on 3 March, and the police have fallen silent about the investigations. As far as is known, no suspects have been identified.

But this is a case that will not go away, and the EU diplomats pressed Nyusi. His spokesperson, Antonio Gaspar, told reporters after the meeting that Nyusi stressed the need for the separation of powers.

“The President repeated his opinion on this subject”, said Gaspar. “He said he would privilege the separation of powers and the matter is being treated in the appropriate forums”.

But Nyusi also promised the ambassadors that all the details on the investigation would be shared as soon as they became available. “The President has opened the doors so that, if there is any question, the ambassadors can approach the President’s office”, said Gaspar.

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European Union representative Sven van Burgsdorff, speaking in the name of the European ambassadors, said that the meeting also dealt with questions of governance and of fighting poverty through inclusive economic growth.

He stressed the need for “transparent governance”, and what he called “serenity” in discussing the bill on “provincial municipalities” which the former rebel movement Renamo has submitted to the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic.

The African ambassadors, however, expressed their concern to Nyusi about the repeated belligerent statements of Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama, who has threatened to take the six provinces he wants “by force”, if the Assembly rejects the Renamo bill.

Gaspar said there was “an exchange of opinions” about the Renamo leader’s statements, and that Nyusi, “in the name of tolerance”, was looking at Dhlakama’s declarations as

“something to think about”.

The spokesperson for the African ambassadors, Mohammed El-Ashmawy, said “it was a meeting in which we expressed solidarity with Mozambique, which is an important example of democracy and good governance on the African continent”.

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Two dead after fire burns down Movitel call centre in Maputo

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Two people died in the early hours of Wednesday morning after a major fire broke out at the Maputo premises of 'N'duku Investimento', a company which provides customer services to mobile phone operator Movitel. Four other people received minor injuries.

According to information from ‘Folha de Maputo’, the victims had been hired to remove carpet at the offices. It is believed that the workers were using a flammable product to remove the glue that fixed the carpet to the floor, which helped start the fire.

According to ‘Folha de Maputo’, the National Public Safety Service (SENSAP) was alerted

“at the time of the incident” and fire fighters arrived at the scene “five minutes later”.

However, they “failed to prevent the worst from happening, because all the equipment was reduced to ashes”. The reasons for this are not specified in the article.

‘Folha de Maputo’ reports 115 computers and the desks were destroyed.

Agents of the Criminal Investigation Police (PIC) are looking into the incident, and the two bodies have been taken to the morgue at the Jose Macamo Hospital.

According to 'Nduku Investimentos' webpage, the company has sevral araes of business:

"Agriculture /Agro-Industry, Mineral Resources, Consultancy, Professional Training and Technologies". Among its "works", 'Nduku Investimentos' names "construction, agriculture, telecommunications and mining; import, export and marketing of products related to the aforementioned areas", as well as "providing mediating services and services related to the activities described above."

How many people worked in the call centre's 115 computers and what will happen to their jobs is what is left to know

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ECONOMY

CTA and USAID warn of the risk of GDP growth with high unemployment

In a publication that reflects on Mozambique's competitiveness in the context of the "boom"

of natural resources, the Confederation of Trading Associations of Mozambique (CTA) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) analyzed the labor market and concluded that the expansion expected in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could not be accompanied by an increase in jobs, which undermines poverty reduction and inclusive growth.

In the chapter that discusses "The role of work in development strategy," CTA and USAID reported that the development of the work through the development should involve not only the Ministry of Labour, but also the ministries of Education, Industry and Trade, Planning and Development, Agriculture, among others. But what is seen on the ground is that this issue has been treated in a "very fragmented", ie no joint efforts in their approach

Source: http://www.opais.com/

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Mozambique: Government's forecast on GDP growth rate is too optimistic - Standard Bank

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Standard Bank Mozambique finds the 7.5% growth forecast for this year maintained by the new government does not suitably consider the effect of floods and the slowdown in foreign investment.

"The government plans a GDP growth of 7.5% this year, which in our opinion does not yet appropriately reflect the negative effect of the floods, the expectations of a deceleration in investment and the strong probability of adopting a less accommodative monetary policy in order to contain inflation," reads a note sent to investors, cited by Lusa.

The document recommends a "strong coordination with the fiscal policy, as it is expected that the 2015 State Budget will present a fiscal deficit substantially lower than the 17.5%

registered in the 2014 Budget, which is necessary to ensure debt sustainability and public

expenditure ".

Standard Bank consultancy bureau points out in the report that these factors put together may

"cut between 0.5 and 1 percentage point to the GDP growth forecast that may be fixed between 6.5% and 7%, even so a robust growth rate."

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TETE - PLATEAU Angónia / Maravia: Created parks of agricultural machinery

SIX parks of agricultural machinery composed of tractors and tools are already installed in many districts of Tete province, including Tsengo, Angónia, Macanga, Chiuta, Marávia and northern Moatize district, potential regions in livestock activities, over Angónia / Marávia.

The provincial director of Agriculture and Food Security, Américo da Conceição, said a few days ago to Noticias that, in Ncondedzi, northern Moatize district, the machines were allocated to private farmers previously selected aims to meet the concerns of food producers at various levels, including the family, private and cooperative sectors.

The Farmers of private sector to whom the management of agricultural equipment was entrusted also pay to the State a monetary value which will be amortized to the payment of the machinery in a cheap price with a purpose of allow them to not feel aggrieved and ensure the sustainability of the government project.

The provincial director of Agriculture and Food Security in Tete added that, under public- private partnership, are underway in almost all districts actions aimed to improve the quality of production and productivity of several crops, most notably cereals , particularly maize and sorghum.

In this regard, public-private extension network is performing permanent visits to production fields, which, in contact with farmers, the formalities are discussed for the implementation of new production technologies, especially in the spacing for seed placement in the land.

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INTERNATIONAL

UN to unveil permanent memorial in New York honouring victims of transatlantic slave trade

A permanent memorial to honour the victims of one of the most horrific tragedies of modern history will be revealed at United Nations Headquarters in New York on Wednesday, when the world marks the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

The Permanent Memorial to Honour the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade at the United Nations, entitled ‘The Ark of Return,’ is designed by Rodney Leon, an American architect of Haitian descent. It pays tribute to the courage of slaves, abolitionists and unsung heroes while promoting greater recognition of the contributions made by slaves and their descendants to societies worldwide.

“It is absolutely vital that the dangers inherent in racism are made crystal clear to all,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. “The Ark of Return will bring home to people around the world the terrible legacy of the slave trade. It will help us to heal as we remember the past and honour the victims.”

The memorial aims to remind visitors of the complete history of slavery, urging them to acknowledge the tragedy and its legacy, and to heighten awareness of the current dangers of racism, prejudice and slavery’s lingering consequences that continue to impact the descendants of slavery’s victims today.

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An international committee was established in 2009 to oversee the project of placing the memorial on the UN’s grounds. In 2013, the committee chose Rodney Leon’s design following an international competition featuring 310 entries from 83 countries.

The International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade has been marked on 25 March in each of the last seven years to honour the memories of the estimated 15 million men, women and children who were victims of the largest forced migration in history.

This year’s theme, ‘Women and Slavery,’ pays tribute to the women victims and to those who fought for freedom from slavery and for its abolition. It also celebrates the strength of enslaved women, who succeeded in transmitting their African culture to their descendants.

“Women slaves played a key role in maintaining the dignity of their communities. Too often their leadership and brave resistance have been underestimated or forgotten,” said Mr. Ban.

Other events taking place at UN Headquarters on the International Day include a special commemorative meeting of the General Assembly where the historian and slave-trade expert Sylviane Diouf will deliver the keynote address; a culinary event at which chef Pierre Thiam will present a range of food illustrating the impact of the Middle Passage on culinary traditions in the countries that participated in the transatlantic slave trade; and performances by drummers and dancers of the Djoniba Dance and Drum Centre.

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SACRIFICE OF A MOTHER: Woman simulating to be a man for 40 years

An Egyptian woman simulated as a man, for more than 40 years in order to feed her family after the death of her husband. Last Sunday, the 22th, she received from the hands of the head of state Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the medal of "Hardworking Mother ".

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Sissa Abu Daooh is an Egyptian widow of 64 years. At the age of 20, when she was pregnant with her daughter, her husband died. Helpless, she had to find a way to feed her daughter. But in an ultra-conservative and misogynist Egypt, she saw only one way to find work: hide her femininity.

For 40 years, Sissa disguised herself as a man, without ever being unmasked by colleagues or bosses. Wrapped in a long "Galabeya" (traditional long tunic) black, she wanders the streets of Luxor looking to survive.

"I cut my hair and started using the 'Galabeya', turban and men shoes to look for work. It was hard to find a job for a woman," she told the website of Al-Arabiya.com

"When a woman gives up femininity is difficult - recognizes. "But I had to do anything for my daughter. It was the only way to make money. What else could I do? I cannot read or write, my family did not send me to school, so this was the only way, "she told The Guardian.

Manufacture of bricks and shoe shine are part of her many occupations.

"I would prefer the heavy lifting to begging to feed my family," she explains.

An exceptional journey that the Egyptian authorities did not stay indifferent. President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi was in charge of honors the woman personally. In fact it was on Sunday, the day after the celebration of Egyptian Mother's Day, March 21, that the head of state gave to the courageous woman a medal as “exemplary Working Mother". At the ceremony, Sissa Abu Daooh also received 50,000 Egyptian pounds (about 230 000 meticais).

Despite its new status, the old woman does not intend to suspend her hard life work. "I decided to die in these clothes. I got used. It's my whole life and I cannot change now. "

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