MOZAMBIQUE CHRONOLOGY - 01-30 JUNE 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/01 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - ECONOMIC CONDITIONS - VAT
The Mozambican tax system undergoes a radical shake-up with Value Added Tax (VAT) replacing the previous sales and consumption taxes. VAT is being charged at the single rate of 17 per cent. The sales tax that it replaces was five per cent for the importer, the producer and the wholesaler, and 10 per cent for the retailer. Nonetheless, the government says that VAT will not increase prices. This is because VAT, unlike sales tax, is not cumulative. With sales tax, the taxes paid at an earlier stage in the sales chain are added to the value of the good and taxed again, thus artificially inflating the consumer price. With VAT, the cumulative nature of sales tax is abolished, and only the value added at each stage is taxed. This depends on proper accounting systems and the use of invoices, so that when, for instance, a manufacturer sells an item to a wholesaler, he can deduct from his VAT bill the tax already paid by the importer on the raw materials he used. A wide range of goods will be exempt from VAT. These include agricultural produce when sold by the farmers themselves, inputs for agriculture, medicines, educational material, bicycles, mosquito nets, and meals when sold in workplace canteens or other non-profit making establishments. Also exempt from tax are "basic consumer goods": these are listed as rice, maize flour, wheat flour, bread, powdered milk for infants, fresh tomato, fish, kerosene and jet fuel.
From: VAT comes into force / AIM / 1 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/01 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - REGIONAL COOPERATION - INVESTMENT
The Malawi Privatisation Commission announced that the Malawi government has approved a Mozambican consortium, headed by the country's publicly owned ports and Railway Company CFM, as the successful bidders to take over Malawi Railways. Partnering CFM in this consortium is the Nacala Corridor Development Company (SDCN). This is a joint venture between Mozambican, American, French and Portuguese interests. According to a report, the Privatisation Commission said that the bid from the CFM/SDCN consortium emerged victorious over seven other bids, including ones from a British rail company, and from the South African Rail Company, Spoornet. "Formal negotiations with the CFM/SDCN consortium will commence shortly with the aim of completing an agreement and handing over the management of Malawi Railways to the new operators before the end of the year," said the Commission's statement. Malawi Railways has over the year's cut down drastically on its domestic transport operation because it has been running at a heavy loss.
From: CFM bid for Malawi railways approved / AIM / 1 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/01 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - CHILDREN'S WELFARE
Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano, in a speech to mark International Children's Day, 1 June, urged adults to think of what they have done to ensure a healthy environment in which the country's children can grow up. "This is a day for us to think of what we have done for our children to enjoy good health, better education; of what we have done to avoid or eliminate the pools where the mosquitoes breed that then infect our children with malaria", said Chissano. This year International Children's Day is dedicated to "children and the environment", and is celebrated under the theme "For the Future of Children, Let us Save the Planet Earth". Chissano noted that some of the twentieth century's technological advances, when misused, "are noxious to the environment. They destroy nature and people". Chissano stressed the government's drive to eliminate polio through annual vaccination campaigns of all under fives. "The eradication of this disease means well-being for our children, for the Mozambican people, and a qualitative leap in the country's development". He said Mozambique had been complying with the World Health Organisation's targets so that it could qualify as "a country free from polio".
From: Chissano urges adults to think of children's welfare / AIM / 1 June 1999



ITEM NO. 99/06/02 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - ELECTIONS - VOTER REGISTRATION
The Mozambican government announced that voter registration for the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections would take place from 20 July to 17 September. The period stipulated by the government is exactly 60 days long. This will not please the main opposition party, the former rebel movement Renamo, which had demanded a registration period of at least 75 days. The government's timetable is clearly determined by the constitutional requirement to hold the elections this year. In reality, this means by the end of November, since December falls within the rainy season, when access roads to many of the remoter parts of the country could be impassable. Major problems can be expected with the voter registration. This is because, instead of simply updating the existing registers, the government has accepted a Renamo demand to re-register the entire electorate from scratch. Citizens will be given a brand new voting card, and the cards issued in 1994 and in 1997 will lose their validity.
From: Dates fixed for voter registration / AIM / 2 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/08 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - CIVIC EDUCATION - PEACE AND RECOLIATION
The Association of Western European Parliamentarians for Africa (AWEPA), together with various Mozambican and foreign NGOs, defended in Maputo, the need for permanent civic education within Mozambican society. Inez Hackenberg, AWEPA representative in Mozambique, said that this is the conclusion reached by studies conducted by her organization on civic education in Mozambique, since the signing of the General Peace Agreement between the government and the Renamo rebels, in 1992. "The call has been that civic education is a process that should be continuous and permanent", she said. Hackenberg explained that, in Mozambique, this concept has been identified "simply with the elections", when the President of the country and its parliament are elected, neglecting the rest of the democratic process. She argued that her organization had concluded that civic education should be much more than voter education in the narrow sense, because it includes the conditions before and after the elections, and therefore, should not be restricted just to the electoral period.
From: NGOs want permanent civic education in Mozambique / AIM / 8 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/08 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - POLITICAL PARTIES - GOVERNMENT
Mozambique's ruling Frelimo Party has described as "absurd" the suggestion from some opposition parties that, if the elections scheduled for the end of this year are postponed, then a "caretaker government" should be formed. "Some politicians want to be in the government, even if it's only for a day, without needing to do any serious work that can merit the trust of the electorate", declared the Frelimo Central Committee Secretary for Propaganda and Mobilisation, Bernardo Cherinda. The idea of a "caretaker government" has been floated by some of the minor parties, notably by Maximo Dias, leader of the Mozambican Nationalist Movement (MONAMO). The opposition politicians he had in mind "don't want elections because they know they're going to lose. Now they're talking about a caretaker government so that at least they could have a chance of participating for a day in the cabinet". "We in Frelimo are already familiar with these maneuvers", said Cherinda, saying they were similar to opposition demands in 1994 for "a government of national unity".
From: FRELIMO rules out "caretaker government" / AIM / 8 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/09 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - ECONOMIC CONDITIONS - INFLATION
The monthly rate of inflation in Maputo turned negative in May, according to the latest figures on the consumer price index issued by the National Statistics Board. In other words, average prices actually fell: or, to use the language of economists, there was deflation. The price fall was by 1.6 per cent. It was food and drink prices that fell most - by two per cent. What the price index classifies as "comfort and housing expenses" fell by 1.6 per cent. The Consumer Price Index, since it is supposed to reflect what citizens actually spend their money on, is heavily weighted towards foodstuffs. Thus falling food prices, normal in this post-harvest period, automatically push the consumer price index downwards. The inflation figure for 1998 (January to December), as calculated by the Bank of Mozambique was minus 1.3 per cent. For the first time, an entire calendar year showed an average drop in prices. Again the price drop was mainly in the areas of foodstuffs and domestic fuel.
From: Negative inflation in May / AIM / 9 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/09 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - AFRICAN LEADERSHIP FORUM
Mozambique's former Prime Minister Mario Machungo has been elected chairman of the Africa Leadership Forum, a continental organization aimed at promoting good governance for the consolidation of democracy and sustainable development. In an Interview, Machungo said that he would strive to publicise among the Mozambicans the organization's objectives and activities. He explained that the main objective of the forum is to improve African leaders' capacity to work for the development of the continent. "The organization was created by Olusegun Obasanjo and aims to contribute to the resolution of conflicts in Africa, and encourage intellectuals to participate actively in the development of the continent", said Machungo. He added that one of his plans, as chairman, is to involve both civil society and military and security structures to press African governments to amend the continent's defence protocol, in order to make it more transparent. The organization's secretariat includes Graca Machel, wife of outgoing South African President Nelson Mandela. Last year's meeting of the forum took place in Maputo, under the theme "Transparency and Good Governance".
From: Machungo chairman of Africa leadership forum / AIM / 9 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/09 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Business cooperation between Mozambique and Cape Verde may grow significantly thanks to an understanding in this area reached between the governments of the two countries. In his first declaration to the Mozambican press after arriving in Maputo, Cape Verdean Prime Minister Carlos Veiga said it was urgent to create the necessary conditions so that cooperation between businesses of Mozambique and Cape Verde could become a reality "as quickly as possible". As for government-to-government cooperation, Veiga said the priorities were in manpower training, fisheries and trade. He raised the possibility that Cape Verde could import foodstuffs and other consumer goods from Mozambique.
From: Business cooperation with Cape Verde / AIM / 9 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/11 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - GOVERNMENT - ELECTIONS
The Mozambican government remains committed to holding the country's second multi-party general elections this year, and sees no reason to postpone them into 2000, said the Foreign Minister Leonardo Simao. He stressed that the chairman of the National Elections Commission (CNE) had assured the government that elections are possible in 1999, and the government was proceeding on that basis. Simao downplayed the climatic problems. "People go to work in the rainy season", he pointed out. "And the roads are much better now than they were in 1994" (the date of the first multi-party elections). The problem of the rains is mentioned repeatedly by the former rebel movement Renamo and by other opposition parties. Simao put this down to their own lack of preparedness to face the electorate. Simao thought it was important to hold the elections on time, for the sake of the country's credibility and to safeguard "the image of Mozambique as a predictable country". "It is important that the international community should know that political events will take place as scheduled", he added. "We should not defraud all those who support us by looking for excuses and creating artificial crises".
From: Government confident in elections this year / AIM / 11 June 1999



ITEM NO. 99/06/11 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
The Mozambican and French governments signed in Maputo two aid agreements under which France is to provide 14 million francs (about 2.15 million US dollars) for the health services and for municipal development. According to a press release from the Mozambican foreign Ministry, one agreement, valued at eight million francs, concerns assistance for the health services in the northern province of Cabo Delgado. The money will provide "institutional support" for the provincial health directorate and for two "priority" district health directorates. It is to be used on such areas as staff training, health planning, hospital management, and supervision and integration of priority programmes such as mother and childcare, and basic vaccinations. The second agreement, worth six million francs, is for the municipal development of the central cities of Beira and Quelimane, and the northern cities of Nampula and Pemba.
From: Aid agreements with France / AIM / 11 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/14 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - POLITICAL PARTIES - ELECTIONS
As expected, the Central Committee of Mozambique's ruling Frelimo Party has chosen President Joaquim Chissano as its candidate for the country's second multi-party presidential elections scheduled for later this year. The party's general secretary, Manuel Tome, told a meeting of the Central Committee that the 15 member Political Committee was recommending that Chissano should stand once again as the Frelimo candidate. No other Frelimo member challenged Chissano, and he was chosen as the party's candidate unanimously and by acclamation. Chissano has been president since the death of his predecessor, Samora Machel, in 1986. In the country's first multi-party elections, in October 1994, Chissano took 53.3 per cent of the vote, easily defeating his nearest rival, Afonso Dhlakama, leader of the former rebel movement Renamo, who won 33.73 per cent.
From: Chissano chosen as FRELIMO candidate / AIM / 14 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/07/14 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - HEALTH - HIV/AIDS
Mozambique is rated among the southern African countries least infected with the HIV virus (that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome - AIDS), but the infection rate is growing fast, a phenomenon attributed mostly to high levels of poverty. This factor alone is enough reason for the country to be listed among the priorities of the United Nations' HIV/AIDS programme, though the infection levels are still lower than those in some of the neighbouring countries, such as Zimbabwe and Malawi. Figures presented on a sub-regional meeting on "Partnership Initiatives in Africa and the Functioning of HIV/AIDS Thematic Groups in Southern Africa" say that 10,863 cases of AIDS have been reported countrywide, since the first was diagnosed in 1986. Recent surveys show that 1.2 million Mozambican adults and 140,000 children had been infected with HIV by the end of last year. The central provinces of Manica, Sofala, Tete and Zambezia are the most affected, and it is believed that this is due to their close links with highly infected countries such as Zimbabwe and Malawi.
From: HIV/AIDS Infection rate grows in Mozambique / AIM / 14 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/15 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - ELECTIONS - VOTER REGISTRATION
The chairman of Mozambique's National Elections Commission (CNE), Jamisse Taimo, has reiterated his belief that it is possible to carry out the entire registration of the country's electorate in 60 days. Taimo was speaking in the central port city of Beira, answering the concerns presented by participants at a meeting called to prepare a programme of voter education. The government has fixed the voter registration period for 20 July to 17 September. But opposition parties, notably the former rebel movement Renamo, claim this is insufficient time, and are demanding an extension of at least an extra 15 days. "When I leave home for work, in the morning, I do not think whether I will get there or not. I start out convinced that I will get there. We are not working with anything impossible; we work with things that are possible. If I do not get to work, it is because something happened, but I leave with the conviction that I will get there", explained Taimo.
From: CNE confident in 60 days for voter registration / AIM / 15 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/15 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
The Mozambican and Chilean governments signed, in Maputo, a memorandum of understanding aimed at relaunching bilateral cooperation in the area of Public Works. The document was signed by the Mozambican Minister of Public Works and Housing, Roberto White, and by his Chilean counterpart, Jaime Toha Gonzalez. Speaking at a press conference after the signing of the memorandum, White said that this document means closer ties between the two governments, and that "it will allow a relaunching of cooperation in the area of Public Works". He added that this would help in the building of infrastructures such as roads, bridges, ports and airports. For his part, Toha said, commenting on what he saw during his visit, that "there are possibilities of progress in the country in terms of infrastructures". He said that his government is prepared to cooperate with Mozambique in those areas that the Mozambican government defines as priorities. "We will respect the Mozambican priorities", he said.
From: Mozambique and Chile sign Memorandum / AIM / 15 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/16 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - BANKING AND FINANCE - ECONOMIC POLICY
The Bank of Mozambique, and the six major commercial banks in the country signed agreements setting up the Maputo Inter-Bank Offered Rate (MAIBOR), which will function as an indicative interest rate. As from 1 July, the banks who have signed this agreement must inform the central bank by 11.00 every day of their interest rates, and by 12.00 the central bank will fax all of them the MAIBOR for that day. Adriano Maleiane, governor of the Bank of Mozambique, thought MAIBOR would have a stabilising effect, and would lead to operations for longer periods. As from 1 July, the maximum period for operations on the Inter-Bank Market will be 90 days, but after a year it should rise to six months, and then to 12 months. Maleiane told reporters that up until now companies and citizens have had no reference point that they can use in negotiating interest rates with the banks. MAIBOR, which will be published in the main daily paper every day, will supply that reference point. MAIBOR would be "the index for a vast series of operations on the money market, and for operations with the public in general", said Maleiane.
From: Banks introduce new reference rate / AIM / 16 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/16 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - GOVERNMENT - REGIONAL COOPERATION
Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano said in Pretoria, that any eventual changes in the relationship of South Africa with Mozambique and other countries in the region that the new South African President, Thabo Mbeki, can carry out "will be for the better". "They will be for the better because Mbeki is the continuation of Mandela", said Chissano, speaking shortly after his arrival in Pretoria where he joined hundreds of other dignitaries invited to the ceremonies marking Mbeki's inauguration. "Mbeki represents the continuation of relations worked out since the national liberation struggle", he said. He said that the victory of Mbeki and ANC would act as a contribution to peace in Mozambique and in the whole of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. "We should learn from the South African achievements in these elections", said Chissano, adding that this country went beyond what Mozambique has so far managed.
From: Chissano at Mbeki's inauguration / AIM / 16 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/16 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - TECHNOLOGY - COMPUTER SYSTEMS
Mozambique's Minister in the Presidency for Social and Economic Affairs, Eneas Comiche, argued that the national computer systems policy should involve all those directly or indirectly interested in the matter. Speaking in Maputo, during the opening of a seminar on national policies for this sector, Comiche said, "our computer systems policy should not come as a decision dictated from above". He argued that, on the contrary, it should be the result of discussions between the government, the private sector, training and research institutions, the computer services industry, and the media, among others. He said that it was in recognition of the importance of computer systems that the Mozambican government created a special commission to work out policies and institutional mechanisms to be implemented in all sectors and institutions. This commission has the task of carrying out an inquiry at national level into the country's computer capacity, in coordination with the National Statistics Institute. The commission is also assessing Mozambican computer users' ability to cope with the "Millennium Bug", or the "Y2K" problem.
From: National Computer Systems Policy / AIM / 16 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/17 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - INDUSTRY - INVESTMENT
Contracts for Mozambican companies involved in the construction of the MOZAL aluminum smelter on the outskirts of Maputo have risen over the last six months to a figure of 47 million US dollars, according to Antonio Macamo, of the Mozambican government's Investment Promotion Centre (CPI). Macamo said that 29 contracts have been signed with Mozambican companies supplying a variety of goods and services to the MOZAL site. Macamo added that participation by Mozambican companies in large-scale projects such as MOZAL is one of the objectives of the CPI programme. He explained that this programme has only been possible because Foreign Direct Investment in the country has been growing, "which creates an opportunity for the development of local industry, an increase in employment and an improvement in the technological basis of Mozambican industry".
From: More Mozambican companies involved with MOZAL / AIM / 17 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/17 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - EDUCATION - SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Mozambican Education Minister Arnaldo Nhavoto said in Maputo, that the drafting of the new curriculum for basic education "should be the task of all of society". Speaking during the opening of a meeting of the committee in charge of drafting the new curriculum for basic education, Nhavoto said that his ministry is a mere "interpreter" of the intentions and expectations of society. He said revising the curriculum is an important issue because it will allow pupils to be fully prepared to face "the growing challenges of building a democratic society". A participant to the meeting, said that Mozambican education experts have concluded that basic education in Mozambique is structurally different from that of other countries in southern Africa. As an example of these differences, he said that in those countries there is the tendency to train pupils "to be capable of self-integration into society", through the learning of local languages, which does not happen in Mozambique.
From: Society should help draft new school curriculum / AIM / 17 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/18 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION - INDUSTRY
The Mozambican government and the Kuwait Fund signed a loan agreement under which the fund is to provide about 10.8 million US dollars for the construction of an electricity sub-station in the city of Matola, which adjoins the Mozambican capital. Signing the agreement were Mozambique's Planning and Finance Minister, Tomas Salomao, and the Director-General of the Kuwait Fund, Bader Al-Humaidhi. The sub-station will be the property of the publicly owned Electricity Company, EDM, and will be linked to an existing sub- station in the suburb of Infulene.
From: Agreement with Kuwait Fund / AIM / 18 June 1999




ITEM NO. 99/06/19 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - ELECTIONS - VOTER REGISTRATION
The Mozambican Electoral Administration of Technical Secretariat (STAE) has announced that there are no conditions for the electoral registration of Mozambicans living abroad due to lack of time and financial resources. This would mean that Mozambican immigrants would not be able to vote in the forthcoming general elections, much like in the first elections in 1994. However, STAE's Director General, Antonio Carrasco, said that the decision on whether immigrants could be registered or not would be taken by the National Elections Commission (CNE), in concordance with the Electoral Law. Should immigrants not be registered would be a lamentable situation, said Carrasco, adding, however, that the country is in no position to repeat the bitter experience of 1997, during the preparations of the 1998 municipal elections, when sizeable financial and human resources were used without satisfactory results. It was based on this scenario and a study undertaken by STAE, CNE executive wing, that led it to choose not to register any Mozambican living abroad. Voter registration is scheduled to start on 20 July, running to 17 September. (AIM)
From: No conditions for immigrant registration / AIM / 19 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/20 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - NATURAL RESOURCES - CONFLICTS
Mozambican Minister for Environmental Coordination Bernardo Ferraz called on African countries sharing natural resources to implement joint measures in their management and rational use as a means to avoid that they become a source of future conflicts in the continent. Ferraz was speaking at the opening of a regional workshop on natural resources management and ways to prevent possible conflicts arising through inadequate use. The minister warned that water could become a potential source for conflicts in the region as well as Africa, if its management is not coordinated. Mozambique, for instance, shares most of its rivers with two or more neighbouring countries, a scenario that calls for a coordinated management, he said. Ferraz said that this coordination should also be internal, as different sectors such as agriculture, energy, among others, vie against each other for the same resources. The workshop was organised by the Finnish non-governmental organisation KUTI in coordination with the "Eduardo Mondlane" Foundation and participants hail from Mozambique, Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Finland.
From: Environment Minister warns of natural resources borne conflicts / AIM / 20 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/21 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - US EMBASSY - TERRORISM
United States officials in Mozambique played down reports that the suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden may be in the "final stages" of planning an attack against its citizens, personnel or facilities in the country. Unnamed US officials cited on 16 June by CNN said that individuals possibly associated with bin Laden's organization are suspected of videotaping the outside of the US embassy in Mozambique. However, the deputy cultural and press attach at the United States Information Services (USIS) in Maputo, Steve Koenig, said that there was no direct confirmation of any threats to US personnel or facilities. "People have reported "suspect" incidents, and we are investigating everyone of them", he said, adding, "many reports have no substance". Bin Laden is accused by the US to have masterminded and bankrolled the almost simultaneous bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in August 1998 that killed 224 people and injured more than 4,000 others.
From: US officials in Mozambique play down Bin Laden attack / AIM / 21 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/22 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - ELECTIONS
Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano reiterated statements that the country's second general elections will still take place in 1999. Speaking at the Maputo international airport, shortly after his arrival from Malawi, where he took part in the inauguration ceremony of the re-elected President Bakili Muluzi, Chissano said that both he and the National Elections Commission (CNE) are confident that "there is no reason why the elections should not take place in 1999". Chissano said, "there is no reason for big concern about the date of the elections". The opposition and the civil society have voiced concern over the apparent secrecy surrounding the polling date. "What is happening is that CNE wants to advise the President of the Republic on a realistic date for us not to go back and forth, and vice-versa", Chissano explained, adding that "CNE will soon advise the President on the most adequate date for the elections".
From: Chissano confident of Elections in 1999 / AIM / 22 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/22 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - REGIONAL COOPERATION
Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano took part in the inauguration ceremony of the re-elected President Bakili Muluzi, elected recently. Speaking on relations between Mozambique and Malawi at the Maputo international airport, shortly after his arrival from Malawi, Chissano expressed hope that they will be straightened further during Muluzi's second mandate. He added that "Muluzi has shown to be a friend of Mozambique and believes in the role of Mozambique in the context of regional cooperation". "We have started negotiations on the Nacala Corridor. We have also made the first contacts on the Mutwara corridor which also involves Tanzania, and are holding discussions on other areas of economic, social and cultural cooperation", said Chissano.
From: Chissano at Muluzi's inauguration / AIM / 22 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/23 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - HEALTH - VACCINATION
Mozambican health authorities have decided to take advantage of July's vaccination campaign to "transmit messages" on the prevention and fight against the Acquired Immune- Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The National Vaccination Days, this year, are aimed to continue the fight to eradicate poliomyelitis and administer Vitamin "A" to all children aged fewer than five. The first dose will be administered from 26 to 30 July, and the second from 30 August to 3 September, covering about three million children countrywide. Mozambican Health Minister Aurelio Zilhao announced the intention of using the vaccination days to "pass the AIDS messages" during a "round table" on HIV/AIDS with the media. Zilhao explained that the idea is not the fruit of mere opportunism, but merely the concern of health authorities with the HIV/AIDS situation in the country. Statistics show that about 700 new infections by HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, occur daily.
From: Vaccination Campaigns to include AIDS messages / AIM / 23 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/23 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - REGIONAL COOPERATION - REGIONAL CONFLICTS
Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano and his opposite Botswana number Festus Mogae discussed the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC) and Angola. Speaking to journalists at the end of the in-camera discussions, both presidents expressed hope that the meeting on the DRC, in the Zambian capital Lusaka, will bear "the desired fruits", namely the end of the armed conflict. They also expressed concern at the current "status quo" in Angola: the on-going war. However, they availed themselves to the Angolan authorities in the search of solutions to bring an end to the conflict. Chissano blamed the leader of the National Union of the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), Jonas Savimbi, as the "cause of the war" in that former Portuguese colony.
From: Chissano and Mogae discuss regional conflicts / AIM / 23 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/30 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - DEBT RELIEF
Mozambique received 3.7 billion US dollars in debt relief under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), following an agreement of the two institutions. This corresponds to a total of 1.7 billion US dollars in net present value terms, and is a significant increase from the 1.4 billion US dollars committed in April 1998. According to a World Bank press release, the relief was granted in the context of Mozambique's demonstrated record of economic and social reforms. "This is the largest debt relief operation organised by the international community under HIPC initiative so far", claims the press release. Mozambique is the fourth country to reach completion point under the initiative, along with Uganda, Bolivia and Guyana. The relief is expected to help the state to increase spending for social development. Although welcome, both government and the Mozambique Debt Group have said that this is not enough: the ideal solution would be to totally write off the debt. (AIM)
From: Mozambique to receive 3.7 Billion US dollars in debt relief / AIM / 30 June 1999

ITEM NO. 99/06/30 - MZ
MOZAMBIQUE - INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION - CULTURE
Mozambican Prime Minister Pascal Mocumbi disclosed that the government and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) agreed to establish a multi-sector commission charged with harmonising a programme for the rehabilitation of the Mozambique Island infrastructures. UNESCO declared the Mozambique Island, off the coast of the northern Mozambican province of Nampula, a World Cultural Heritage in 1991. Speaking in Maputo at the opening of an International Conference on Sustainable Human Development and Integral Conservation of Mozambique Island, he said, "we have to find ways to mobilise domestic and foreign resources for this programme". The programme, which costs about US$40 million, involves 50 projects covering access routes, water supply, sanitation, rehabilitation of buildings, electricity, communications, transport, public services, staff training, and tourism and environment. Mocumbi urged the participants to the meeting to make the event "a movement for a sustainable human development, not only in this small piece of land, which is Ilha de Mocambique (Mozambique Island), but also in the whole country".
From: Mozambique and UNESCO agree on commission for Mozambique Island / AIM / 30 June 1999

Compiled by SARDC Maputo