In the inauguration as
President of Mozambique, the address given by Filipe Nyusi was filled with
countless promises that the country would take the definitive path of growth,
and that the Mozambican people would command their Destiny.
Two and a half years later, we
saw that the overwhelming majority of these promises were just fallacies
traditionally promoted by politicians. Even so, the President insists on
praising that his mandate has brought Mozambique back on track.
In fact, what we’ve witnessed
is a deterioration and degradation of the country's conditions in several areas.
Contrary to what is publicised, the fourth President of Mozambique did not find
the state coffers empty. Nyusi found about 71.5 billion Meticais in several
public institutions bank accounts, which in violation of the law did not channel
the amounts to the Single Treasury Account. This value has been used outside
the state budget.
But beyond these aspects,
where the State accounts are far from rigorous, we encounter other alarming
situations:
• The 13th salary of State Employees was cut
for the first time;
• Food prices have more than doubled since
2015;
• Cuts in subsidies for the elderly and poor.
In parallel with this we also
have a pitiful situation regarding human rights, a situation already enhanced
by some entities. The struggle for the establishment of a State of Human
Rights, although often referred to by the President, has shown little or no
progress over the past two years. The democratic rule of law has undergone
considerable prominence, with emphasis on political intolerance, despite
considerable progress in achieving peace. Let’s not forget also the resurgence
of mass graves, whose existence was refuted by the Government.
If we link all this to the
economic crisis which caused cuts in health, education, agriculture and the
fact State agents who have illegally indebted the country haven’t been held
responsible yet, we can’t really assume the fight against corruption has been
efficient .
Hence, Mozambicans can’t fall
into the trap over and over on false promises. The country, beyond making
peace, needs more men of action who strive for development. Nice words and false
promises for the future, doesn’t fill stomachs!
Miguel Verde - Senior Consultant, Professor of
International Relations
No comments:
Post a Comment