Mozambique 1 June: Journalism on trial
Good afternoon. Following the shooting of government critic Jose Jaime Macuane on 23 May, the intimidation of those who dare challenge the official version of events in Mozambique took a new turn at the end of last week.
Currently in the firing line is Portuguese news agency Lusa, which stands accused of having fabricated a report of a mass grave in central Mozambique in order to denigrate Mozambique’s reputation internationally.
Lusa says it stands by its reports, in the face of fierce criticism from Frelimo parliamentarians and other government heavyweights calling for criminal action to be taken against the agency. Even the former head of state news agency AIM, not known for its rigorous research into the realities of the conflict with Renamo, has - with no apparent sense of irony - called for Lusa to be prosecuted if it can't prove that the grave exists.
SEE: News agency reaffirms reports of Mozambique mass grave
Inconveniently for those still trying to deny the existence of mass graves in central Mozambique, a distressing report published today by French news agency AFP testifies to having found yet more bodies abandoned and decomposing in the district of Macossa, where Lusa previously found 15 bodies.
SEE: In Mozambique, a return to the horrors of civil war
Back in Maputo, the government is still managing to avoid an official event of default on Mozambique Asset Management’s first debt repayment – but Standard & Poor’s downgrade on Friday could be followed with another if a solution is not found soon.
SEE: Mozambique still dodging default as S&P downgrades
“Nobody is indifferent to what’s going on in the country. It’s too many bad stories in a short period of time,” one foreign investor told Zitamar News in an interview we published on Monday. Nevertheless, the country still holds opportunities for investors, he argues – and he has a particular eye on a wave of new privatisations likely to kick off soon.
SEE: Investors get set for new wave of Mozambique privatisations
Mozambique’s opportunities are not lost on its neighbours, either. A subsidiary of Zimbabwe’s state electricity utility is now looking to partner with a local company to gain a firmer foothold in Mozambique’s electricity sector.
SEE: Zimbabwe state-owned power company eyes Mozambique market
Back on Friday.
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