Welcome to Zitamar’s daily Mozambique briefing for 21 September, 2017.
The latest from Zitamar News:
Renamo: No accord until parliament approves our demands
Dhlakama’s party is warning it wants parliamentary approval for its demands before they sign a definitive peace accord – having twice seen their proposals thrown out by parliament under this administration.
The best of the rest:
UK ready to help Mozambique investigate ‘hidden debts’ (Lusa)
The UK is ready to help Mozambique with its investigations around the notorious $2 billion ‘hidden debts’ scandal, according to the Secretary of State for International Trade, Liam Fox, who ended a two-day visit to Mozambique yesterday. Private investigators Kroll, who conducted a forensic audit into the three deals, suggested the UK authorities should look more closely at the role of Credit Suisse’s London office.
Zitamar understands Mozambique’s Attorney General has formally requested the assistance of the UK authorities in its investigation. The Financial Conduct Authority has also reportedly already looked into the deals, though it has never officially confirmed that.
Frelimo councillors decide to raise Maputo bus fares (MediaFax)
The Frelimo majority in Maputo City’s Municipal Assembly decided yesterday to raise bus fares by 3 meticais each – with journeys under 10km going from 7MT to 10MT ($0.16), and from 9MT to 12MT ($0.20) for journeys of 10-20km. The new fares are not coming in immediately, with the date of their introduction yet to be announced.
The new prices have been trailed for a long time, and their staggered introduction is undoubtedly a tactic to avoid a big shock that could cause social unrest – like the last time the fares were changed, five years ago. Mediafax writes that yesterday’s decision was opposed by MDM, the biggest opposition bloc on the council, but passed by Frelimo members who are intimately linked with the businessmen who operate the chapas. But in any case, the prices surely need to follow inflation.
Dam serving Maputo could shut in days (RM)
The sluice gates of Pequenos Libombos dam, which serves the cities of Maputo and Matola and the town of Boane, could shut in the coming days to allow it to refill. While it is closed, the affected cities will use water from the River Movene in Namaacha, via the Umbelúzi water treatment centre.
Maputo migration service facing corruption probe (Notícias)
The Central Office for Combatting Corruption (GCCC) is investigating the disappearance of around 17 million meticais ($280,000) from the City of Maputo Migration Service. The money has come out of receipts from March this year, when the service took in a total of 48 million meticais ($790,000), of which only 31 million appears in the service’s bank accounts.
280 Mozambican orphans to get South African citizenship (Correio da Manhã)
Around 280 children of deceased Mozambican immigrants to South Africa could qualify for South African citizenship thanks to a ruling by the Supreme Court in Cape Town, that awarded citizenship to undocumented minors who were born in the country.
Happening today
- President Filipe Nyusi inaugurates the country’s biggest bakery, the “Espiga D’Ouro”, in Matola
Bank of Mozambique exchange rates as at 09:30
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