Mozambique Archives - The African Mirror

Jul

2023

“Tuna King” – Mozambique ex- Finance Minister – extradited to US to face trial

MOZAMBIQUE'S former finance minister, Manuel Chang, was extradited to the United States from South Africa to face charges for his alleged role in a $2 billion debt scandal, the South African justice ministry said. Chang, who has denied wrongdoing, had been detained in South Africa since 2018 when he was arrested at the request of the United States on charges including money laundering and conspiracy to commit fraud. Mozambique subsequently also requested his extradition, and the two countries fought over possession of Chang via both the courts and diplomatic channels. South Africa's constitutional court denied Mozambique leave to appeal in…

Jul

2023

By KIRSTIN RIDLEY

Mozambique ‘tuna bond’ case against Credit Suisse can proceed, UK judge rules

NEWS

MOZAMBIQUE'S blockbuster lawsuit against Credit Suisse and others over the $2 billion "tuna bond" scandal can proceed to trial, a London judge ruled, despite complaints that the African nation has failed to fully disclose documents. High Court Judge Robin Knowles said it was not just, proportionate or necessary to strike out the complex case, which encompasses 11 sets of proceedings, three months before a London trial scheduled to start on October 2. But he warned: "At trial, all alternatives, including to strike out and in whole or in part, remain available." The tuna bond or "hidden debt" case has triggered litigation…

May

2023

By The African Mirror

Crochet and art bring awareness to anti-poaching efforts in Mozambique’s Niassa Reserve

ENVIRONMENT

The YAO Crochet Project, a women-empowered knitting venture which trains the community in the Niassa Special Reserve in Mozambique to crochet and create toys and crafts, is creating a life-sized, metal elephant sculpture to heighten awareness and stir emotions around anti-poaching efforts in the reserve. Collaborating on the project’s creative execution are French metal sculptor, Jules Pennel; Zimbabwean metal sculptor and director of Luwire Conservancy, Derek Littleton; Mozambican artists and musicians, Norte and Jose Matola; and Mozambican metal sculptors, Cecília Paulo and Josina Estevão. The project is supported by the Metis Fund, an initiative by Agence Française de Développement. The…

May

2023

By The African Mirror

World Bank extends $150 mln to Mozambique to aid Cyclone Freddy recovery

NEWS

THE World Bank has moved $150 million of the funds it has earmarked for Mozambique projects to help fund the southern African nation's efforts to recover from the aftermath of Cyclone Freddy. The World Bank logo is seen at the 2023 Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund in Washington, U.S., April 13, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz One of the deadliest storms to hit the continent in the last two decades, Freddy ripped through Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar, first in late February before circling back in March. Over 1,000 people were reported dead in the region. The World…

Mozambique Independence Day

Independence Day: June 25th, 1975 Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (República de Moçambique), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Africa to the southwest. The sovereign state is separated from the Comoros, Mayotte and Madagascar by the Mozambique Channel to the east. The capital and largest city is Maputo. Notably, Northern Mozambique lies within the monsoon trade winds of the Indian Ocean and is frequently affected by disruptive weather. Between the 7th and 11th centuries, a series of Swahili port towns developed in that area, which contributed to the development of a distinct Swahili culture and dialect. In the late…

Apr

2023

By The African Mirror

Beware of the second wave of the invasion of Africa

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

DR MATHEWS PHOSA IT is a privilege to be back in Maputo, a city which I regard as my second home. During the struggle for liberation, I spent many happy months here-amongst others as a lecturer, teaching students the creative language of Afrikaans. I am told it was put to good use in the cross-border interaction with South Africa on both an official and unofficial level. Both South Africa and Mozambique come from a scarred history of colonialization. Mozambique from the Portuguese and South Africa mostly from the British, but also from the Dutch and others. I mention this because…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Cyclone Freddy teaches deadly lessons on storm warnings, city sprawl

NEWS

FRANK PHIRI, MANUEL MUCARI and CARIEN DU PLESSIS DAYS before Cyclone Freddy struck Mozambique on March 11 for the second time, cars with loudhailers moved through the streets of the port town of Quelimane warning residents to move to shelters on higher ground with stocks of food and water. Most people heeded the warnings, knowing from bitter experience the damage such storms could inflict: 600 people died in Cyclone Idai in 2019. "Local authorities came around my neighbourhood to alert us of the imminent danger. They blew the whistle," recalled 31-year-old Quelimane resident Amelia Antonio. Those preparations helped save lives…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Malawians search for relatives buried under the mud as death toll jumps

NEWS

IN Malawi, where floods swept away entire villages this month after a storm tore through its southern districts, police officers and soldiers dug for victims buried under the mud and rocks as the death toll rose sharply. The storm has pounded the southern African country as tropical Cyclone Freddy swept through the region killing more than 500 people in Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar since it first made landfall in Africa in late February and circled back for a second time over the weekend. While the storm had dissipated, the rain continued to hamper rescue efforts as vehicles struggled on flooded…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Factbox: Why is Cyclone Freddy a record-breaking storm?

NEWS

NELLIE PEYTON TROPICAL cyclone Freddy hit the coast of southern Africa for a second time over the weekend, bringing its total death toll to more than 220 people in Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar. The month-long storm has broken at least one record and could break two more, meteorologists say. As climate change causes warmer oceans, heat energy from the water's surface is fuelling stronger storms. Below are some of the main reasons Freddy is noteworthy. HIGHEST CYCLONE ENERGY Freddy holds the record for most accumulated cyclone energy (ACE), a measure based on a storm's wind strength over its lifetime, of any storm in…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Mozambique braces for tropical storm Freddy

NEWS

TROPICAL storm Freddy is due to hit the coast of Southern Africa again early on Saturday, after killing at least 27 people in Mozambique and Madagascar since it first made landfall last month. One of the strongest storms ever recorded in the southern hemisphere, Freddy may also have broken the record for the longest-lasting tropical cyclone, according to the World Meteorological Organization, which said the current record is held by a 31-day hurricane in 1994. Freddy was first named on Feb. 6, 33 days ago. More than 171,000 people were affected after the cyclone swept through southern Mozambique two weeks ago,…