Welcome to Zitamar’s daily Mozambique briefing for 3 May, 2018.
The latest from Zitamar News:
Anadarko close to finalising capex for Mozambique LNG
Anadarko is squeezing contractors to reduce the construction costs of its LNG plant in northern Mozambique as it prepares to take FID by early 2019
The best of the rest:
- Parliament approves anti-terrorism law
- EDM plans 400 redundancies in ‘modernisation’ drive
- Parts of Matola haven’t had running water since 2012
- Frelimo refuses to participate in Renamo-led Nampula administration
- Sofala sugar plantation workers on strike
Parliament approves anti-terrorism law (VoA, AIM, Notícias)
The Assembleia da República yesterday passed a bill to combat terrorism and ‘connected activities’, to cover acts committed in Mozambique, or carried out abroad by people who are now in Mozambique who cannot be extradited. Custodial sentences range from two to 24 years.
Whether any convictions are made now under this law will depend on if the police define violence such as that seen in Cabo Delgado as terrorism, or if they will continue to describe it merely as isolated criminal incidents.
EDM plans 400 redundancies in ‘modernisation’ drive (O País)
Electricity utility EDM will shed 400 staff in an effort to streamline the company, according to director Fatima Arthur. The number of executives is going from 75 to 35, while heads of department are slashed from 620 to 85. In total, the workforce should go from the current 3,545 to 3,148.
EDM’s restructuring under Mateus Magala has, of course, ruffled feathers within EDM – not least when he made the board of directors reapply for their jobs – but observers have been impressed by changes at the company, whose performance is vital for Mozambique’s development.
Parts of Matola haven’t had running water since 2012 (O País)
Nine neighbourhoods (bairros) in Matola, Mozambique’s biggest city, have been without mains water for six years, according to a report in O País, and many also don’t have electricity. Residents have to travel to get water from parts of the city which do have water, or drink water from wells. Mayor Calisto Cossa says he’s working with water utility FIPAG and with EDM to improve the situation.
According to veteran journalist and commentator Joseph Hanlon, Cossa’s reelection will not be supported this year by elements within Frelimo unhappy with his firm stance against corruption. But it looks like voters may have other reasons to turn against him anyway.
Frelimo refuses to participate in Renamo-led Nampula administration (DW)
The Frelimo party in the city of Nampula has turned down an invitation from the new mayor, Renamo’s Paulo Vahanle, to nominate members to take up cabinet positions in his new municipal administration. The MDM, which ran the city until mayor Mahamudo Amurane was assassinated last October and which endorsed Vahanle in a run-off this year against the Frelimo candidate, said they would take part.
Coalitions and horse-trading between Mozambique’s political parties will become an ever more important part of the political scene as elections approach and the process for appointing mayors is revised. In Nampula, at least, the opposition is working together while Frelimo continues to stand alone.
Sofala sugar plantation workers on strike (Rádio Moçambique)
More than 300 workers at the Companhia do Búzi sugar cane plantation in Sofala are on strike over unpaid salaries for the last six months. It’s the second time in less than two years that workers at the company, which supplies sugar cane to Tongaat Hulett’s Mafambisse refinery, have downed tools.
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