Welcome to Zitamar’s daily Mozambique briefing for 16 October 2017.

The latest from Zitamar News:

IMF does not assume new Mozambique programme in 2018
A Mozambique government delegation to Washington DC last week apparently gave no sign of coming up with more information about the ‘hidden debts’ – which could mean no return to IMF funding in 2018.

Zitamar News presents: Mozambique economic and political outlook, with Dr Roberto Tibana
Tickets are still available for tomorrow’s event.

The best of the rest:

Death toll for Thursday’s attack in Mocimboa hits 21 (CanalMoz)
Last Thursday’s ambush on police by attackers in Mocimboa da Praia, Cabo Delgado, left 21 people dead including three police officers, according to CanalMoz. The ambush happened 30km north of the town of Mocimboa da Praia, on the road to Palma where Anadarko and Eni are planning a huge gas liquefaction facility. The attackers burnt out a car belonging to elite police unit the Unidade de Intervenção Rápida (UIR).
A report from Lusa quotes locals in Mocímboa da Praia describing the perpetrators of the original attack, on 5 October, as being dressed in tunics, and telling locals not to be scared as they were only targeting the police. “Some of [the attackers]are our sons from various bairros and villages,” the district administrator told Lusa.

India could defer pigeon pea import quota to next year – anonymous official (Live Mint)
Indian media quoted a commerce ministry official speaking under condition of anonymity saying India might not buy 125,000 tonnes of pigeon pea from Mozambique this year – as it agreed to last year – but roll over part of the quota to future years.
Rolling over the quota to next year would leave Mozambican producers in even greater crisis than they currently are – and would be a breach of India’s agreement with Mozambique. However, as the agreement is only a memorandum of understanding, it is not actually legally binding. This year has seen bumper harvests in both India and Mozambique – and India needs to take at least part of the pain by buying the quota it has agreed to.

Nyusi wants to earmark funds for fighting corruption; Graça calls for special courts (AIM)
President Filipe Nyusi has called for the inclusion of specific funds in the state budget directed to fighting corruption, given the costs that the activity incurs. Meanwhile elder stateswoman Graça Machel has suggested tribunals could be established which specialise in judging ‘crimes against the economy’.
The pace of prosecuting corruption in Mozambique does seem to be hotting up – this year alone, the Central Office for Combating Corruption has sent more than 450 cases to the Attorney General, variously involving government officials, diplomats, district administrators, and directors of public companies. And, for example, the story below.

Local governors accused of corruption in Manica province (Diario de Mocambique)
Jacob Muiambo, the president of the municipal assembly of the town of Sussundenga, near Chimoio in Manica province, has been detained since Friday, accused of involvement in the diversion of more than 1.8 million meticais ($30,000). Judicial authorities have said they will extend their investigations to Venâncio Verem, the mayor of the town, who like Muiambo was elected on a Frelimo ticket in 2013.

Police expel more than 4,000 illegal immigrant gold miners in Tete (Radio Moçambique)
The Mozambican police have expelled more than 4,000 foreign artisanal gold miners (‘garimpeiros’) from the district of Macanga, bordering Malawi in the north of the province of Tete. The miners were expelled by force after peaceful methods failed, according to Rádio Moçambique.
Zitamar has previously reported on a Chinese-owned gold mining project at Kassossole in Macanga district, where local and foreign garimpeiros local and foreign feared losing their livelihoods if they were expelled from the area. Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Leticia Klemens said earlier this year she wants garimpeiros to organise themselves better, as they have a role to play in Mozambique’s exploitation of its natural resources.

Weather forecasters warn of heat wave in central Mozambique
Much of central Mozambique can expect temperatures between 35°C and 44°C this week, according to an alert from the national meteorological institute, INAM. The heat wave will affect all of Sofala and Manica, INAM said; parts of Gaza (districts of Massangena, Chicualacuala, and Chigubo); Inhambane (districts of Mabote, Funhalouro, Vilanculos, Inhassoro and Govuro); Zambézia (districts of Morrumbala, Mocuba, Lugela, Maganja da Costa, Pebane, Namacurra, Nicoadala and Mopeia); and Tete (districts of Chiúta, Moatize, Zumbo, Cahora Bassa, Mutarara, Marávia, and the city of Tete).

Agenda

• Today: The Espiga d’Ouro, Mozambique’s largest bakery, starts operation, producing 1.8 million loaves and rolls per day
• Tomorrow: Zitamar News presents: Mozambique economic and political outlook, with Dr Roberto Tibana
• Wednesday: Day 1 of the three-day Mozambique Gas Summit
• Wednesday: Energy and Natural Resources Minister Leticia Klemens addresses the LNG Producer-Consumer Conference in Tokyo

Bank of Mozambique exchange rates as at 12:30

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