Mozambican President, Daniel Chapo, delivering his state of the nation address
Maputo, 19 Dec (AIM) – Mozambican President Daniel Chapo on Thursday told the country’s parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, that total investment promised for the country in the coming period amounts to 75 billion US dollars.
Giving his annual State of the Nation Address to parliament, Chapo said this sum is three times the country’ annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is the result, he claimed, of “economic diplomacy and international cooperation”, which “sought to find answers to far-reaching challenges, which require courage, a sense of urgency and leadership”.
That economic diplomacy, Chapo added, involved 27 trips abroad in just 11 months. These included state and working visits and participation in high-level multilateral forums.
“We went to the world, and the world came to us”, said Chapo. He believed these visits were bearing “palpable results”.
However, promises are one thing, delivery another. It remains to be seen how much of the 75 billion dollars is actually disbursed to Mozambique. Indeed, Chapo admitted that only part of the promised investment is guaranteed. The rest will be confirmed later, depending on the real availability of funds.
Nonetheless, Chapo was sure that the pledges he had mentioned “are not mere announcements, but concrete results which bear witness to the resilience of our people, and the determination of our State”.
Chapo’s address was, as expected, applauded by the Frelimo parliamentary group, but condemned by all three opposition parties – the former rebel movement Renamo, the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), and the Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos).
Opposition deputies claimed that Chapo’s address did not paint a true picture of Mozambique. MDM spokesperson Judite Macuacua said Chapo had presented “a soap opera Mozambique”, which had nothing to do with the reality experienced by Mozambicans.
Macuacua accused Chapo of failing to wage a serious battle against corruption, and objected to his attempt to blame the country’s parlous condition on the post-election demonstrations and rioting. He had denounced the riots but said nothing about the hundreds of people killed by the police during the unrest.
For Renamo, Arnaldo Chalaua denounced the quality of the education and health services, and forecast that terrorism in the northern province of Cabo Delgado “will continue to be the greatest problem in our country”.
Podemos spokesperson Ivandro Massingue said there was nothing to applaud in Chapo’s speech. There was no sign of any commitment to rooting out corruption, and instead there was a constant stream of scandals.
Massingue believed the looting of the public treasury was a much more serious problem than the post-election unrest that had so concerned Chapo.
(AIM)
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