Economic ministers sacked

Health minister also dismissed

by Joseph Hanlon

Following the publication of the most recent survey showing that poverty is increasing, as well as the riots in Maputo over rising food prices and lack of jobs, President Armando Guebuza yesterday sacked both the agriculture and industry ministers.

Frelimo heavyweight Jose Pacheco becomes Minister of Agriculture. He is a member of the Frelimo Political Commission, an agronomist by training, and a former deputy minister of agriculture (1995 -97). He is moved from the post of Minister of Interior, where is has been fighting a bitter battle against entrenched corruption and organised crime links inside the police.

Mozambique has been trying to find an agriculture policy for 35 years. A constant stress on big farms and, in the past 15 years, foreign investment and a pure free market has meant the failure to develop peasant and small commercial farming. Most Mozambicans still do not use any modern inputs such as fertiliser and still only use a hoe for tilling.

In the last action under the old minister, it was announced that Mozambique would not follow the model of neighbouring Malawi which doubled maize production and reduced poverty through a fertiliser subsidy. Instead, Mozambique said it would continue to depend on improved infrastructure to support the private sector, with a deeper channel in Beira port allowing larger ships, and a private company building a new fertiliser warehouse.

Will Pacheco follow the model of other African countries that have successfully promoted the “green revolution” and opt for a more interventionist strategy? With a seat on the Political Commission, he will have more influence with President Armando Guebuza than the dismissed minister, Soares Nhaca, and thus more space to change direction.

The new Minister of Trade and Industry is Armando Inroga, president of the Mozambican Economists Association (Associacao Moçambicana de Economistas, AMECON), and a teacher in the economics faculty of Universidade Eduardo Mondlane. He replaces Antonio Fernando who made little impact in the post.

Alberto Ricardo Mondlane, appointed just a year ago as rector of Police Sciences Academy (Academia de Ciencias Policiais) becomes the new Interior Minister. First trained as a policeman at the Nachingweia camp in Tanzania during the liberation war, he had later training in the former East Germany, and has a masters degree in law from Universidade Eduardo Mondlane.

Health minister dismissed

Also dismissed is Ivo Garrido as Minister of Health. Although he improved front line curative health services, particularly in the hospitals, he was accused of arrogance and he fell out with both doctors and the technical staff within the ministry. For example, dismissals and resignations severely damaged what had been a very effective medicines distribution system, leading to less control and more thefts and shortages.

The new Health Minister is Alexandre Lourenço Jaime Manguele, a doctor but with a specialism in public health. Previous posts include national director of health and inspector general in the ministry. He is currently “vereador” (head or municipal ”minister”) of health and social action on the Maputo City Council.

MOZAMBIQUE 171, News reports & clippings, 12 October 2010