Mozambique: State reforms necessary in face of ‘social pressures’ – government

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Mozambique: State reforms necessary in face of ‘social pressures’ – government

4:38 CAT | 11 Feb 2025

Photo: Jornal Moçambique

The executive leader of Mozambique’s Office for the Coordination of Reforms and Strategic Projects (GCRPE), João Machatine, said after taking office on Monday that there was a need for state reforms in the country, in the face of “social pressures”, in order to give dignity to the lives of citizens.

“Just look at the demonstrations themselves. It is clear that it is important to meet the demands of the world today. (…). We have to introduce reforms in order to adapt to these realities, to these social pressures, so that people can, in fact, live with dignity,” Machatine admitted to the media after taking office.

Machatine stated that the office he will head is of great strategic importance in advising the President of the Republic for a probable renegotiation of contracts for megaprojects, indicating that the objective is to combine natural and mineral resources with human strength to ensure the development of Mozambique.

“The corollary of these reforms will be the attraction of investment. We want to make Mozambique a pleasant place to invest, so that, based on these investments, we can catapult the desired economic independence,” Machatine said, pointing out that reforms result from new social “dynamics”.

Machatine promised to advise the President of Mozambique, Daniel Chapo, to introduce broad social and economic reforms aimed at giving dignity to young people, especially in rural areas.

“From the smallest reform that has to do with how the ordinary citizen should pay his water bill to the renegotiation of contracts, including the issue of Identity Cards. We cannot only look at the issue of megaprojects: we must also look at what impacts the day-to-day life of the ordinary citizen,” Machatine said.

Before taking up his new position, João Osvaldo Machatine was, among other roles, Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources between 2018 and 2022, during the government of former President Filipe Nyusi.

At Macatine’s inauguration, Mozambican president Daniel Chapo asked the executive coordinator of the Office for the Coordination of Reforms and Strategic Projects for actions and partnerships which would accelerate the country’s economic and social development.

“This Office must be a catalyst for profound changes in our economy and society. We need to change the current reality, rooted in colonial heritage, in which our economy continues to be focused on the export of raw materials and logistics corridors,” said Chapo.

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The GCRPE will be run by a Coordinating Council chaired by Chapo, including representatives from private business and from civil society

Mozambique has been experiencing a climate of social unrest since October of last year, with demonstrations and strikes called, at first, by former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who rejects the election results that gave victory to the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) candidate, Daniel Chapo.

Smaller-scale protests are still taking place in different parts of the country with people, in addition to contesting the October 9 election results, protesting the rising cost of living and other social problems.

Since October, at least 327 people have died, including around two dozen minors, and around 750 have been shot during the protests, according to the electoral platform Decide, a non-governmental organization that monitors electoral processes in Mozambique.

Empossámos hoje, 10.02, o Engenheiro Osvaldo João Machatine, para exercer o cargo de Coordenador Executivo do Gabinete de Reformas e Projectos Estratégicos, na Presidência da República.

Com esta nova unidade, pretendemos impulsionar as reformas que anunciámos no dia da Tomada… pic.twitter.com/jBDnrBKIQa

— Presidente Daniel Chapo (@daniel_chapo24) February 10, 2025