Mozambique in 2004

Mozambique in 2004

Area: 812,379 sq km (313,661 sq mi)
Population (2004 est.): 18,812,000
Capital: Maputo
Head of state and government: President Joaquim Chissano, assisted by Prime Ministers Pascoal Mocumbi and, from February 17, Luisa Diogo

On Feb. 17, 2004, Pres. Joaquim Chissano announced the dismissal of Prime Minister Pascoal Mocumbi, who had held office since 1994. Mocumbi was replaced by Luisa Diogo, minister of planning and finance, an office that she retained.

Floods in March in the central Sofala province left thousands of families stranded, and the late arrival of rains in the drought-stricken southern districts of the country raised serious concern about the food supply. Although harvests were uneven in different regions, the overall results were better than in the previous three years. In general the corn (maize) harvest was good, and there was an increase in both the quantity and the range of cash crops that provided the growers with money to buy food and other essentials. It was estimated, however, that 200,000 people would require food aid, more than half of them until the next harvest and the rest for an indefinite period. Deaths from HIV/AIDS were also causing a serious decline in the number of agricultural workers who were familiar with the problems of farming in the climatic and soil conditions peculiar to the country.

Although a considerable number of South African businessmen were working to help stimulate the economy, they provided relatively few secure jobs for local people. Nevertheless, South African investment was broadening the country’s revenue base and was providing a more reliable supply of a wider range of goods. On June 21 the Executive Board of the IMF approved a three-year $16.66 million arrangement under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility for Mozambique to support the government’s economic program until 2006. From having been the poorest country in the world, Mozambique had become a popular destination for outside investors.

In July, however, there were reports of beatings and killings by former Mozambique National Resistance (Renamo) guerrillas, about 150 of whom had been retained as guards to their former leader and presidential candidate Afonso Dhlakama, in Maringue, 150 km (93 mi) northwest of Beira. The attacks were feared to be indicative of continuing distrust between the opposition Renamo and the ruling Frelimo party and were deemed to be a bad augury for the general election to be held in December. In the event, Frelimo’s Armando Guebuza (President Chissano had stood down after serving his statutory two terms in office) scored a decisive victory over Renamo candidate Dhlakama. In only the country’s third presidential and parliamentary election since independence in 1975, observers from independent monitoring agencies deemed the election fair but noted a low voter turnout of less than 50%.

Kenneth Ingham