The latest from Zitamar News:

Malawi graphite project signs logistics deal with Vale/Mitsui Nacala railway
Vale’s Nacala rail line could allow Malawian graphite to get to the port of Nacala more cheaply than Mozambican graphite, despite being twice as far away.

The best of the rest:

Police arrest 43 in Mocimboa da Praia (MediaFax)
The Mozambican police say they’ve arrested 43 people in connection with the invasion of Mocimboa da Praia last week. At least 14 were killed, the police say – suggesting the group, whose identity and motive is still unknown, numbered at least 60. The town is now supposedly under the control of the authorities – and Celmira da Silva, governor of Cabo Delgado, has visited – but many of the townspeople are still in hiding in surrounding areas. Meanwhile, it has been reported that the surviving attackers killed a community leader in the village of Metumbate, 15km from Mocimboa da Praia.
A guest column on www.zitamar.com later this week will address the question of who was behind these attacks, and why.

Controversy as MDM leader attends Nampula mayor’s funeral (AIM)
Prominent MDM parliamentarian Venâncio Mondlane has denied that the leader of his party, Daviz Simango, was forced to leave the funeral of assassinated Nampula mayor Mahamudo Amurane due to popular protests. Mondlane told AIM Simango safely attended the funeral in Nampula’s Cathedral, but then reluctantly followed advice not to enter the ceremony in the Council Chamber.
Either way, it seems clear that Simango is a persona non grata among the people of Nampula – who would probably have re-elected Amurane next year had he lived to run as an independent. The fall-out between Amurane and the party of Daviz and his brother Lutero Simango is speculated to be one potential motivation behind the assassination.

Tickets still available for Zitamar News‘ live discussion next week with Dr Roberto Tibana – click the banner below

MDM headquarters in Gaza set on fire (Rádio Moçambique)
MDM’s headquarters in Xai-Xai, the capital of Gaza province, were set on fire on Friday morning, destroying furniture and party documents, according to local police, who said they are working to find out who the arsonists were.
The party say they believe the attack was politically motivated. Gaza is one of ruling party Frelimo’s strongholds, where the opposition has a tough time, and where the Frelimo vote has been known to go above 100%.

Frelimo’s new SG dismissed from ministry of state administration (AIM)
Roque Silva Samuel, elected Frelimo’s Secretary General at the party’s Congress in Matola last week, has been relieved of his duties as deputy minister of state administration, in line with party rules barring the SG from having a job in government.
In terms of power in Mozambique, Samuel has of course been elevated – particularly as his new job automatically gives him a seat on the powerful Frelimo Political Commission. A government reshuffle is still on the cards following the Congress – with current deputy foreign minister Nyeleti Mondlane hotly tipped to take over from her current boss, Oldemiro Baloi, who could take charge of Mozambique’s embassy in China, replacing Aires Ali who was reelected to the Political Commission.

Agenda

• Today: Maputo hosts the annual conference and General Assembly of the Southern Africa Development Community Organisation of Public Accounts Committees (SADCOPAC)

Bank of Mozambique exchange rates as at 12:30