Mozambique: Parliament’s first day back – Watch

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Mozambique: Parliament’s first day back – Watch

10:23 CAT | 11 Jul 2024

Screen grab; Assembleia da Republica Moçambique / YouTube

Kidnappings, strikes in the public administration and the cost of living dominated the speeches of the three benches of Mozambique’s parliament on Wednesday when it resumed its plenary sessions after a six-month break.

“The Frelimo [Front for the Liberation of Mozambique] parliamentary caucus in parliament called on the government to take energetic measures to quickly put a stop to the evils affecting the country and restore security to Mozambicans, in particular businesspeople, investors and ordinary citizens,” said the leader of the ruling party’s parliamentary group, Sérgio Pantie, in a reference to the wave of kidnappings plaguing some of the country’s cities.

Regarding the concerns of the health and education professions, which have resorted to systematic strikes, the Frelimo bench urged the government to identify the best solutions to safeguard everyone’s interests in strict compliance with the law.

Sérgio Pantie warned of the risk of losing the gains the country has made since independence in 1975 if the important challenges facing Mozambique are not overcome.

Pantie criticised the prevalence of corruption, noting that the practice undermines the entire political system, since it even calls representative democracy into question.

“Some of these citizens make these acts completely commonplace and often have no concern for managing public affairs properly, which causes the state to become inefficient and fundamental rights to cease to be realised,” he stressed.

The Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), the main opposition party, accused the Frelimo government of perpetuating poverty, due to corruption and alleged tyranny.

“Our biggest problem is poverty and the biggest cause of this problem has a name,” declared the head of the Renamo caucus, Viana Magalhães, referring to the party that has ruled the country for over 49 years.

Magalhães argued that Mozambique needs “a new paradigm” to lift the population out of poverty.

The Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), the third largest party, also accused the ruling political force of “serious incompetence”.

“The country is not doing well, we need to have the courage to denounce the lasting, serious incompetence that has taken the country and state institutions by storm,” said the leader of the MDM parliamentary group, Lutero Simango.

Simango also criticised the inability to combat the kidnappings affecting some of the country’s cities, stressing that this type of crime is causing businesspeople to flee and unemployment to rise.

“In the last ten years, insecurity has taken hold of the nation. Thousands of citizens have had to flee the country, leaving their businesses because of kidnappings,” he emphasised.

According to the parliamentary agenda, Wednesday’s session would include the last report on the state of the nation from the current president of the republic, Filipe Nyusi, who leaves office in January, having reached the constitutional limit of two consecutive terms.

Frelimo dominates the Mozambican parliament with a majority of 184 deputies, followed by Renamo with 60 seats and finally MDM with six seats.