Mozambique: CIP director says the State behaves like an NGO – Sala da Paz

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Mozambique: CIP director says the State behaves like an NGO – Sala da Paz

3:49 CAT | 04 Feb 2021

File photo: Sala da Paz

The director of the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP), Edson Cortez, says that the Frelimo-led Mozambican State has always acted like the largest non-governmental organisation operating in the country.

To justify his position, Cortez points out that, since the proclamation of independence, the State has received external monetary support but without producing any results to justify such funds. But when international partners stopped injecting funds into the state budget, the government accused NGOs with access to funds of serving a foreign agenda.

“These pronouncements only happen when the Mozambican government is cut off from funds. They start saying that these NGOs have a foreign agenda, but not long ago the government was building bridges and electrifying districts, and building hospitals and schools with foreign money. That was not a foreign agenda?” asks Cortez, as quoted by the ‘Zambeze’ weekly.

Speaking to that newspaper, Cortez gave the example of the Ministry of Health (MISAU), which he says “is full of USAID projects for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria” asking, “Is that not responding to the foreign agenda? Are NGOs the ones responding to the foreign agenda?”

The Executive Director of the CIP also questioned the government’s aversion to criticism. “I mean, people who are educated in Mozambique, particularly in public education, don’t think? Can’t I reflect critically on my country, can’t I think and say that Nyusi is getting into trouble? Can’t I question my president, who said he was my employee in his first term inaugural speech?” Cortez asks.

Source: Sala da Paz