Basic HTML Version
Country Focus
ECONOMY
M
ozambique is one of Africa’s success stories
and is making economic progress, although
the country is still partly dependent on for-
eign assistance. Over the last 15 years, Mozambique
has reached macroeconomic stability and expe-
rienced impressive economic growth. Access to
public services has increased significantly and there
have been investments in infrastructure and insti-
tutional and legal reforms.
The economy performed well in 2010, growing
by an estimated 8.1%. There has been mas-
sive foreign investment in coal mining over the
last 2 years especially in the Tete
province. Notwithstand-
ing the sustained GDP
growth over the past ten
years, poverty remains
widespread in the country.
Job creation also remains below
expectations.
Mozambique’s GDP in 2010 was es-
timated at $21.81 billion, an 8.3%
increase from the previous year.
Aluminum accounted for about one-
third of its exports during this period .
Agriculture is also very strong in the
country. It exports cotton, ca-
shewnuts, sugarcane, tea, cas-
sava, corn, coconuts,prawns
and timber, as well as bulk
electricity.
Natural Gas has just been dis-
covered in large volume and a
lot of investments are expected
to be witnessed in this sector
also.
CULTURE
M
ozambique culture has survived decades of
colonialism which had a deep effect on the
Mozambican people.
The Makonde, as the inhabitants are called in the
north are known for their ebony sculptures and
masks. The Chopi from the south central coast are
remarkable at their complex musical fusions and
dance. Mozambique’s tradition of visual art has
made a legend with several modern artists who
have international recognition. One of famous Mo-
zambican artists is Malangatana, whose creations
mainly display the history and sufferings of the co-
lonial period and the civil war which Mozambique
experienced.
Mozambique enjoys a vast range of cultural and
linguistic diversity. There are variety of cultures
clustered together like Swahili language speaking
group, Islamic culture and Bantu-speaking groups
living in northern and central regions. Zambezi valley
has a varsity of culture that is astonishing. Linguisti-
cally they overlap with neighbouring Malawi, Zam-
bia, and Zimbabwe, and cattle-rearing group.
Mozambique’s tradi- tional medicine is an impor-
tant segment of
their culture. The traditional
h e a l e r s
known as Curandeiros are
highly in demand. Ritual
dances also form an impor-
tant part of Mozambican
culture. The Mapiko dance
is one with international
popularity, the theme be-
ing the spirit of a dead
person and quite horrify-
ing for the spectators. The
carved wooden statues
and sculptures and masks
of the Makonde inhabitants
of northern Mozambique and
Tanzania are very popular. Chopi
orchestral performances or Midogo are
world famous.
In spite of the variety of languages, artistic tradi-
tions, social relationships, clothing and ornamenta-
tion patterns, there is always a common theme of
dynamic and innovative cultural expression through
song, dance, oral poetry and performance in the
Mozambique Culture.
Samora Machel
S
amora Machel was born in 1933 and raised in
the village of Chilembene. He was a member
of the Shangana ethnic group and his parents
were poor. Machel’s parents were forced to grow
cotton by the Portuguese, rather than food. In the
1950’s his parents’ farmland was taken and given to
Portuguese settlers. In order to avoid starvation his
relatives went to work in the South African mines un-
der repressive and dangerous conditions. Soon af-
ter, his brother was killed in a mining accident.
Machel attended Catholic school and studied to
become a nurse, one of the few professions open
to Mozambican Blacks at that time. Machel was
attracted to Marxist ideals and began his political
activities in a hospital where he protested that the
black nurses were paid less than whites, who were
doing the same job. He later told a reporter how bad
medical treatment was for Mozambique’s poor by
saying, “the rich man’s dog gets more in the way of
vaccination, medicine and medical care than the
workers upon whom the rich man’s wealth is built.”
Rebellion against Portugal was not new to Samora
Machel. His grandparents and great grandparents