MOZAMBIQUE CHRONOLOGY - 01-30 APRIL 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/01-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - ELECTIONS - LAW
The Mozambican parliament amended the country's voter registration law, so as to allow a new registration of the entire electorate this year. It claimed that a completely new registration exercise was needed because large numbers of people have moved since the 1994 electoral registers were drawn up. An Assembly ad-hoc commission adjusted the 1997 law, so as to allow, exceptionally, a completely fresh registration in 1999. As from the year 2000, the country will revert to yearly updates of the registers. A number of minor amendments of the law were also introduced, specifying the role in registration of the district election commissions, and of the local bodies of the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE), the electoral branch of the civil service. The amendments also increased the fines for such offences as registering twice, or falsifying electoral registers, but scrapped the possibility of prison terms for most of these crimes. The government is to fix the 1999 voter registration period: it is likely to be in June and July.
From: Voter registration law amended / AIM / 1 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/01-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - ECONOMIC POLICY - VAT
The Mozambican government officially launched a Value Added Tax (VAT) which will replace, as from 1 June, the existing sales and consumption taxes. The main ceremonies took place in the central port city of Beira, and were headed by the Minister of Planning and Finance Tomas Salomao. During the ceremony, registration cards bearing the taxpayers official VAT number were distributed to the businessmen who have registered for the new tax. The identity number on these cards will be used in the payment of all taxes that the business owes, and also at the border posts, in import and export transactions. At the Maputo ceremony, Deputy Finance Minister Luisa Diogo explained that the government postponed the implementation of VAT because it understood that most small and medium sized companies are not yet ready for it. However, the business community, through the Confederation of Mozambican Businesses (CTA), says that "the two months postponement conceded by the government will not bring any substantial changes in the countless critical questions that have been insistently indicated by the CTA concerning the implementation of VAT". "The CTA insists that the ideal date for the implementation of VAT is 1 January 2000".
From: VAT Officially launched / AIM / 1 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/01-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - ELECTIONS - ELECTORAL COMMISSION
Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano appointed Jamisse Taimo, the vice-chancellor of the Higher Institute of International Relations (ISRI) as chairman of the National Elections Commission (CNE), the independent body that will organise the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for October. Chissano's intervention came after the CNE, at its first meeting, was unable to reach consensus as to who would chair it. Under the law on the CNE, in these circumstances the decision is passed to the President. Taimo is one of the eight CNE members appointed by the ruling Frelimo Party. In addition to his academic tasks, he is also a Methodist pastor. The CNE has a total of 17 members. 15 were chosen by the political parties with parliamentary representation (eight by Frelimo, six by Renamo, and one by the Democratic Union coalition) and the remaining two by the government.
From: Chissano appoints CNE chairman / AIM / 1 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/01-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION HEALTH
Under an agreement signed in Maputo France is to grant Mozambique 1.2 million francs (about 207,000 US dollars) which is to be used principally for medical training. Signing the agreement were Foreign Minister Leonardo Simao and French ambassador Bernadette Lefort. The money is part of an overall fund of 10 million francs to be used in developing anaesthetic and emergency medical services in six Indian Ocean countries - Comoro, Djibouti, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Mozambique. The fund seeks to strengthen national training capacities in these specialist medical fields. In three years the project expects to train 30 specialist doctors and 60 paramedical staff in the six countries concerned.
From: Agreement with France / AIM 1 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/02-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - ELECTIONS - ELECTORAL COMMISSION
Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano swore into office the chairman of the National Elections Commission (CNE), Rev. Jamisse Taimo. Speaking during the ceremony, Chissano said that he had chosen Taimo because of the qualities he had shown, both as a pastor in the United Methodist Church, and as vice-chancellor of the Higher Institute of International Relations, the university-level body that trains the country's future diplomats. A further point in Taimo's favour, Chissano added, was that he had not been a member of either of the previous CNEs - the first CNE, which ran the 1994 general elections, and the second one which organised the 1998 local elections. Chissano though this would allow Taimo to be "a good observer" and that he would be "free from a subjective approach" when taking his decisions. Taimo told reporters at the end of the ceremony that his new position is one of "great responsibility", but he was sure that, if the CNE works as a team, the difficulties ahead can be overcome.
From: CNE chairman takes office / AIM / 2 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/05-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - GOVERNMENT - NATIONALISATIONS
Mozambican Prime Minister Pascoal Mocumbi defended the nationalisation carried out immediately after the country's independence, and called for vigilance against attempts by former settlers to reclaim nationalised property. He was speaking in the Mozambican parliament, in reply to a question from the former rebel movement Renamo concerning the criteria for nationalising property in the first place, and for later returning it to its former owners. The purpose of the nationalisation, occurred in 1975, just months after Mozambican independence, "was to place these resources at the service of the Mozambican people", he declared. Mocumbi made it very clear that these nationalisation were irreversible, and there could be no question of handing houses back to the Portuguese citizens who had owned them prior to independence. He called for "vigilance" against attempts to override the nationalisation law, and give properties back to the former settlers. He admitted, however, that there had been "exaggerations" in applying the nationalisation law, particularly with regard to the property of religious institutions. The property, which the government had returned to its previous owners, consisted of places of worship, residences of priests and the like, which the state should never have taken over in the first place.
From: Mocumbi defends nationalisation / AIM / 4 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/05-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - GOVERNMENT - HEALTH - CHOLERA
Although the lethality rate from Mozambique's current cholera epidemic is worse than a year ago, the percentage of cholera victims who die of the disease is still lower in Mozambique than in many other African countries, according to Health Minister Aurelio Zilhao. Answering questions on the epidemic at the Mozambican parliament, Zilhao said that in the first wave of the current epidemic, from August 1997 to June 1998, seven of the 11 provinces were affected, and there were 35,416 diagnosed cases, of whom 2.3 per cent died. Matters worsened with the resurgence of cholera as from October 1998. This second outbreak, which has continued to the present, now covers the entire country. Zilhao said 52,298 cases have been diagnosed, with a lethality rate of 3.7 per cent. The intimidation of health workers, and the deliberate attempts to keep people away from hospital had increased the number of deaths. Attacking health workers under the dramatic circumstances of a cholera epidemic "is comparable to murder", declared the minister. Cholera epidemics had hit Mozambique cyclically since 1972. Zilhao said that among their causes were difficulties in obtaining clean drinking water, overcrowding in urban and peri-urban areas, and the failure to use latrines.
From: Health Minister updates Assembly on cholera / AIM / 5 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/05-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - GOVERNMENT - AGRICULTURE
Agricultural marketing has increased by 87 per cent since 1994, Mozambique's Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Oldemiro Baloi, told the country's parliament. In 1994, 211,000 tones of crops were marketed, but in the 1998 harvest the figure hit 395,000 tones. The problem of commercial banks being reluctant to supply credit for marketing had been overcome, he said. Indeed, in 1998 more credit was available than could be used. Banks had been prepared to lend 389 billion meticais (about 31.1 million US dollars) for the marketing campaign, but in fact only 279 billion meticais had been used. This was because many private traders were ineligible for bank credit, because they still owed debts from previous years. Baloi said that for the 1999 campaign 412 billion meticais would be available from the banks. The state's own marketing body, the Mozambique Cereals Institute (ICM), will borrow 100 million meticais. He suggested that traders declared ineligible should talk to the banks in an attempt to renegotiate their old debts. Bagging was once a problem for marketing, but is so no longer, the minister said. Enough sacks have been available since 1997. This year some ten million sacks will be used to bag peasant produce.
From: Increase in Agricultural marketing / AIM / 5 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04-05-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - HEALTH - LEPROSY
World Health Day was celebrated in Maputo with the launching of a national campaign for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of leprosy. Announcing the campaign, scheduled to last for three months, Health Minister Aurelio Zilhao said it would prioritise the northern provinces of Cabo Delgado, Niassa and Nampula, which have the highest incidence of leprosy. Zilhao said that, if the campaign is to be a success, then the support of the local administration, traditional leaders, religious organisations and the community at large is essential. He added that multi-drug therapy against leprosy was introduced in Mozambique in 1982, and since 1996 all leprosy patients have been treated free of charge. A World Health Organisation (WHO) resolution of 1991 sets the year 2000 as the target date for eliminating leprosy as a public health problem - in numerical terms, this means reducing it to no more than one case per 10,000 inhabitants. Zilhao said that during this year's campaign community volunteers would be trained, in order to seek out people suffering from leprosy and persuade them to seek treatment at health units.
From: Anti-Leprosy campaign launched / AIM / 8 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/08-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - JOURNALISM - PRESS FREEDOM
The general secretary of Mozambique's National Union of Journalists (SNJ), Hilario Matusse, has called for an end to the intimidation that journalists still suffer in parts of the country. Interviewed in Maputo, after working in the northern provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula, Matusse said intimidation was still practised "in the interior". He was referring to the lower rungs of the Mozambican administration. While, in general, press freedom is respected in Maputo and in the provincial capitals, it is a different story in the districts and localities. The most flagrant recent example was the illegal arrest in the Cabo Delgado district of Chiure of Fernando Quinova, a journalist who works for the state-owned Mass Communications Institute (ICS). Quinova had annoyed the Chiure police chief because he wrote a story about an alleged thief who died in police custody earlier that month and because that story, he spent 23 days in detention. While in Pemba, Matusse gave Quinova a "Diploma of Honour" from the SNJ "as a way of demonstrating our solidarity with the cause you are defending that of freedom of expression and the right of the people to be informed". Matusse added that the diploma "is a signal of protest against the attitude taken by the authorities".
From: Journalists' Union calls for end to intimidation / AIM / 8 April 1999



ITEM NO. 99/04/09-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - INTERNATIONAL - COOPERATION - HEALTH
Mozambique and Belgium signed in Maputo, a memorandum of understanding to strengthen their bilateral co-operation in the areas of public health and medical science. Under the terms of the memorandum, Belgium commits itself to assisting Mozambique in the registration, quality control and distribution of medicines, in scientific research and in exchange of information in these fields. The document was signed by Mozambique's Deputy Health Minister, Abdul Razak Noormahomed, and by the Belgian Minister of Public Health and Pensions, Marcel Colla. At the signing ceremony, Noormahomed described the memorandum as "the first step towards fruitful co-operation in the medium and long term". He said that the pharmaceutical area is one that deserves more attention in the co-operation between the two countries. For his part, Colla stressed his government's wish to work hand in hand with the Mozambican authorities in the area of medicines, including staff exchanges. Belgium is one of the countries contributing to the Programme of Essential Medicines, of which Mozambique is one of the beneficiaries.
From: Co-operation with Belgium in health / AIM / 9 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/10-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - REGIONAL COOPERATION - INVESTMENT
The South African Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Pumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, said in Maputo that Mozambique and South Africa should create synergies to promote small-scale companies that would be efficient and competitive. She was speaking after a meeting with representatives of small businesses from both countries. She said it was imperative that the business people themselves should indicate to the governments what they considered to be their priority needs. The South African deputy minister, who is heading a delegation of 40 officials and business people, said she had been encouraged when some of her delegation told her that they have identified Mozambican partners. The South Africans accompanying her are from businesses in agriculture, chemicals, plastics, textiles, furniture, and engineering, among others. She said that from her meeting with the business people she was left with the impression that the banking sector was of critical importance for developing small companies. Most of the small businesses complain that they have great difficulties in obtaining credit, because the banks regard such companies as a high-risk area.
From: Promotion of small companies / AIM / 10 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/12-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION - HEALTH
The Portuguese Health Association (ASP) and a second Portuguese NGO, Caravela, have prepared two projects to be implemented in Mozambique in the area of education for health, over the next three years. The ASP chairman, Hernani Canico, said that the projects will cost 500 million escudos (about 2.8 million US dollars) and will benefit Nampula and Sofala provinces, in the north and centre of the country. He explained that this money is to come either from the European Union or from the Portuguese Co-operation Institute (ICEP), and his organisation is only awaiting the Mozambican authorities' go ahead. Justifying the choice of those two provinces, Canico said that it is "to try and reduce the asymmetries in the country, since there are better chances of training in the capital, Maputo, and this project will bring the pedagogic levels between the northern region and the capital closer together". He explained that "we have drafted integrated projects, that involve several components and stimulate people to intervene themselves", so that they are not simply the receivers of the programs, but participate, while respecting their own cultural identity and traditions.
From: Portuguese Health Projects for Mozambique / AIM / 12 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/13-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - REGIONAL COOPERATION - DEBT
The South African government plans to announce in the next few days the official cancellation of Mozambique's debt to South Africa, according to the country's Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel. Manuel, who is among those who have urged international financial institutions to pardon the debts of the poorest countries, including Mozambique, said that the impending announcement would merely formalise a decision taken earlier by the government. The amount involved is about four million rands (about 650,000 US dollars). The gesture does not cover Mozambican debts to South African publicly owned companies, such as the Electricity Company Eskom. Manuel promised that he would continue raising the problem of third world debt at the forthcoming annual meetings of the IMF and the World Bank. Mozambique has been declared eligible for the HIPC (Heavily Indebted Poor Countries) debt relief initiative of the IMF and World Bank.
From: South Africa to cancel Mozambique's debt / AIM / 13 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/16-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - INDUSTRY - IVESTMENT
The MOZAL aluminium smelter, being built at Beloluane, on the outskirts of Maputo, expects to produce its first aluminium ingot by July 2000, said Anton Reiche, a senior official of the project. The initial schedule was that the smelter should be fully operational in January 2001, but it is now clear that this may happen by mid 2000. The total investments in MOZAL amount to about 1.3 billion US dollars. The shareholders are the London-registered Metals Company Billiton, the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa, Mitsubishi of Japan, and the Mozambican State. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank's private sector financing arm, is taking part as one of the project's creditors. The agreements for the building of the smelter were signed in March 1997, and the launching of the work was announced in May 1998. Occupying an area of 140 hectares, MOZAL is designed to produce 250,000 tones of aluminium a year, exclusively for export.
From: Construction of MOZAL ahead of Schedule / AIM / 16 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/17-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - INVESTMENT - REFERENCE BOOK
Mozambique possesses a favourable environment for domestic and foreign investment, according to a study on the country's business climate carried out by the international consultancy firm, KPMG. The results of the study were presented when KPMG's "Business Environment Index" was formally launched in Maputo. The index, which is to be updated every three months, seeks to provide a useful barometer on the impact of socio-economic and political developments on the Mozambican business climate. The first study covers the third and fourth quarters of 1998, and was based on surveys of about 100 companies, covering the financial sector, agriculture, manufacturing industry, agro- industry, transport, communications, energy, and wholesale and retail trade. The key factors covered in the study are macro-economic policy, infrastructure and services, and financial, monetary, labour and environmental policy. The study claims that the most positive economic sectors in Mozambique are telecommunications, banking, energy and natural resources, while the least positive are agriculture, manufacturing industry and transport. The KPMG study thus backs the position of the Confederation of Mozambican Businesses, which argued that the government date of 1 April for implementing VAT was far too early, and called for a delay until 1 January 2000. In the event, the government compromised on 1 June.
From: Business Environment Index Launched / AIM / 17 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/19-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - HUMAN RIGHTS - CHID SOLDIERS
Olara Otunnu, special representative of UN secretary-general Kofi Annan for the question of children involved in armed conflict, called on African governments to take up their responsibility for protecting children from involvement in wars. He was speaking in Maputo at the start of a conference on the use of children as soldiers. The conference has been organised by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, a grouping of NGOs including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Save the Children Alliance. The conference raison d'etre is the shocking statistic that at least 300,000 children under the age of 18 are currently fighting in conflicts across the globe. Otunnu noted that on paper many African countries have laws that protect children: however, all too often these are dead letters. The UN official also stressed the need to create programs, using radio, television and other media, to reintegrate former child-soldiers into society. He called for the use of village elders and other respected and influential figures in society to assist in the recovery of war-traumatised children. He concluded with a call for support for the children suffering because of the Kosovo conflict. "The governments of the world must do something to help these children who, in their innocence, do not know why they are suffering", he declared.
From: Conference on Child Soldiers / AIM / 19 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/20-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION - HEALTH
Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano pledged those health care remains at the top of the government's priorities. He was speaking in Maputo when he received Gro Harlem Brundtland, the director-general of the World Health Organisation (WHO), who was visit Mozambique. On leaving the meeting, Brundtland told reporters that they had talked about issues related to poverty alleviation and the development of the health sector. "We spoke specifically about malaria, AIDS, and maternal mortality", she added. "We discussed the need for close collaboration between Mozambique and the WHO". Brundtland also has a meeting with the Mozambican health authorities who told her how the sector functions, and explained the activities under way to combat the most common diseases, the resources available and the difficulties encountered.
From: Chissano receives Brundtland / AIM / 20 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/20-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - HUMAN RIGHTS -
CHILDRENMozambique's Minister for Social Welfare, Acucena Duarte, described the use of children as soldiers as "a crime". She was speaking on the first day of an African conference called by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers. "The premature experience of war condemns our children to social and psychological imbalances, and leaves them deprived of basic education, including moral and civic education", said Duarte. Mozambique has bitter experience of this problem. UN statistics suggest there are about 25,000 former child soldiers in the country. During the 1994 demobilisation it was discovered that no less than 40 per cent of Renamo's fighters, and 23 per cent of government troops had been recruited when they were under 18 years old. Duarte told the conference that Mozambique now has laws that protect children from being obliged to take part in military conflict. The conference seeks to find strategies whereby both governments and irregular forces can be persuaded to stop recruiting children as fighters. 230 delegates are present, 21 from African governments, 11 from government on other continents, and the rest mostly from a variety of NGOs.
From: Use of Children as soldiers "A Crime" / AIM / 20 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99.04/21-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIOON - CONFLICTS
The conflicts in Angola, East Timor and Kosovo dominated the initial >discussions between the Mozambican and Portuguese presidents, Joaquim Chissano and Jorge Sampaio, on the first day of Chissano's state visit to Portugal. After the talks, Chissano said in regard to Angola "we are continuing to appeal to the good sense of UNITA so that it returns to the negotiating table". "We are all committed to trying to find a solution to the Angolan conflict", said Chissano. This was the common position of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Community of Portuguese Speaking countries (CPLP) and the OAU. The meeting also served to review the bilateral co-operation between Mozambique and Portugal, and "to draw up prospects for the future", said Chissano.
From: Chissano and Sampaio discuss conflicts / AIM / 21 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/23-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - REGIONAL COOPERATION - DEBT
The South African government has written off about eight million US dollars of Mozambique's bilateral debt. Speaking in Maputo, the South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said it was appropriate for South Africa to cancel the debt because both countries are appealing for better terms of debt relief for themselves. Manuel was in Maputo for a working-visit, and met with his Mozambican opposite number,Tomaz Salomao. Salomao said that although the amount is small and symbolic, he hoped it would send a strong message to other creditors to the effect that debts cripple nations and hinder their efforts to carry out social programs and eliminate poverty. "The South African gesture is very important for us", said Salomao, adding that "the decision has been taken and will be formalised in May". Mozambique's debt stands at more than five billion US dollars in nominal terms. But since it is, in principle, eligible for the HIPC (Heavily Indebted Poor Countries) debt relief initiative of the World Bank and the IMF, which should take effect in June, almost three billion dollars of the debt stock will be wiped off.
From: South Africa writes off Mozambique debt / AIM / 23 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/24-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - INVESTMENT - A consortium headed by Saur Internacional (a subsidiary of the French Construction Company Bouygues) has won the tender for the privatised management of the water supply systems in five Mozambican cities - Maputo, Beira, Nampula, Quelimane and Pemba. Saur heads a consortium named Aguas de Mocambique (Waters of Mozambique) that will now negotiate a detailed contract with the government, according to the Minister of Public Works and Housing, Roberto White. The contractual discussions with Aguas de Mocambique should be finalised in June or July, allowing the delegation of water supply management to the consortium. It could be running the water systems in the five cities in August. The Mozambican State will continue to own the physical infrastructures of the water companies, while a new regulatory body will supervise the behaviour of the private operator. According to White, the consortium will be able to propose alterations of water tariffs, but it will have to take "socio-political factors" into account, so that low-income households are able to obtain water at an affordable price.
From: French firm heads water consortium / AIM / 24 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/24-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - IMMIGRATION
The Mozambican and Portuguese authorities signed an agreement in Lisbon concerning immigration. Signing the document were Felix Mambule, Mozambique's national director of the institution for assisting migrants, and Jose Leitao, Portugal's high commissioner for immigration and ethnic minorities. The agreement envisages an exchange of information on migratory flows between the two countries. The Portuguese also undertook to maintain updated information on the situation of the Mozambican community in Portugal, and the measures taken by the Portuguese government to guarantee their insertion into Portuguese society. The statistics released by the Portuguese immigration authorities indicate that there are at least 5,000 Mozambicans living in Portugal.
From: Immigration agreement with Portugal / AIM / 24 April 1999

ITEM NO. 99/04/26-MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - CRIME -