Welcome to Zitamar’s daily Mozambique briefing for 18 October 2017.
The latest from Zitamar News:
Fraud charges for Rio Tinto over disastrous Mozambique coal deal
The SEC has completed its investigation of the deal which cost Rio Tinto and its investors $3.7 billion – alleging fraud at the top of the company.
No order to stop import of Mozambique pigeon peas, India HC says
India’s High Commissioner has moved to reassure Mozambican pigeon pea producers that his country will honour its import commitments.
The best of the rest:
Dhlakama’s spies blame Frelimo for Mocímboa da Praia attacks (VoA)
Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama said yesterday that his intelligence agents believe the insurgency in Mocímboa da Praia, on the coast of Cabo Delgado, was directed by elements within Frelimo who oppose a peace deal between him and President Filipe Nyusi, and who are concerned by how Nyusi’s hand was strengthened at the recent Frelimo Congress. Dhlakama discounted the theory that the attack was directed by foreigners.
Dhlakama’s theory seems more far-fetched than most, but until more is known for certain about the attacks, they will probably continue to be used for various political ends.
Government has 30 days to decide on Nampula by-election (Diario de Mocambique)
Government spokeswoman Ana Comoana said yesterday the government will decide over the next 30 days whether there will be a by-election in Nampula following the assassination of mayor Mahamudo Amurane.
Yesterday, CanalMoz reported that Frelimo’s top brass is against having a by-election as it might allow an opposition candidate to gain momentum ahead of the scheduled elections in 2018. There appears to be a legal grey area – Amurane was assassinated on 4 October, but his death was only officially declared by the municipality on 13 October. The rules say there should be a by-election if the mayor dies more than 12 months before the next scheduled elections – in this case, 10 October 2018.
Aeroportos de Moçambique borrowed $12m from BNI last year (@Verdade)
The highly indebted state airports company, Aeroportos de Moçambique (AdM), borrowed a further 733 million meticais (around $12m) from state-owned investment bank BNI last year, @Verdade has found – supposedly to help it improve performance and meet financial and operational commitments.
This year, AdM became the first creditor ever to default on a loan from Brazil’s state investment bank, BNDES. The Mozambican state is already guaranteeing $300m worth of debt taken on by AdM, Zitamar revealed last year – but Mozambique state guarantees are now far from bankable, of course.
Five new ambassadors to Mozambique (President’s press office)
President Filipe Nyusi will today receive the credentials of five new ambassadors to Mozambique:
- Swedish Ambassador Maria Andersson de Frutos, formerly Sweden’s Ambassador to Colombia
- Russian Ambassador Alexander Surikov, formerly Russia’s Ambassador to Belarus
- Colombian Ambassador Maria Eugenia Correa Olarte
- Israeli Ambassador Oren Rozenblat
- Hungarian Ambassador Zsolt Maris
Petrol price rises, diesel stays the same (Lusa)
The monthly adjustment of fuel prices saw the petrol price go up this morning from 57.58 meticais to 59.52 meticais per litre, while diesel and cooking gas stayed the same. Paraffin for lighting went up from 40.11mt to 43.32mt, and compressed natural gas, for use in vehicles, went up from 27.74mt to 28.22mt per litre equivalent.
Agenda
- Today: Day 1 of the three-day Mozambique Gas Summit
- Today: Energy and Natural Resources Minister Leticia Klemens addresses the LNG Producer-Consumer Conference in Tokyo
- Today: Deputy foreign minister Nyeleti Mondlane represents Mozambique at the 17th Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) meeting in Durban, South Africa.
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