“You are the mirror of society” – Nyusi urges state officials to behave ethically

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“You are the mirror of society” – Nyusi urges state officials to behave ethically

7:18 CAT | 04 Jun 2019

“Feel proud of yourselves”, he urged. “It isn’t the government that keeps this country going – it’s you. So we have to work so that we can improve our living conditions”. [Photo: TVM]

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Monday urged all public officials and state agents to enhance professional ethics in the exercise of their duties, as servants of the people.

He was speaking in the town of Mapai, in the southern province of Gaza, during a meeting with public officials.

“You are the mirror of society”, he told his audience, urging them to know how to behave correctly in their communities and at their workplaces. “Avoid nepotism, clientelism and trafficking in influence”, he urged.

He criticised “negative behaviour” in the state apparatus, such as absenteeism and alcoholism “which bring no dignity to servants of the state”.

Nyusi also urged public servants to be creative in order to overcome the difficulties they face. “We have to be creative to increase our income”, he said, inviting his audience to undertake productive activities in their leisure time, such as growing vegetables and raising poultry.

“Feel proud of yourselves”, he urged. “It isn’t the government that keeps this country going – it’s you. So we have to work so that we can improve our living conditions”.

Among the concerns raised by state employees during this meeting were the need to include houses for teachers when new schools were built, and revised criteria for the allowances paid to staff sent to work in remote areas.

At a separate meeting with members of civil society in Mapai, Nyusi described civil society as a partner of the government, which should promote and nurture development projects, in pursuit of the welfare of the population.
He criticised some, unnamed civil society organisations which, instead of promoting sustainable development, did all in their power to make it non-viable.

“Civil society is not an adversary of the government”, Nyusi said. “Don’t let yourselves be manipulated. You can criticise projects, but in a positive way. Feel that you are crucial partners for the development of the country”.

Civil society representatives at the meeting praised Nyusi for his commitment to the search for a definitive peace, but also expressed concern at the proliferation of religious sects, some of them set up “for obscure purposes”.

Nyusi replied that religious bodies should not be set up simply to extort money from their followers.

“It’s up to civil society to explain to people that they should not join causes which only damage them”, he said. “We don’t need to use coercive measures”.

Source: AIM