Zitamar investigation reveals illegal Chinese timber exports

Plus: Good and bad news on the 'random justice' front

Good afternoon. There is good news to report, since the last edition of the Zitamar Daily; Agnaldo Navalha, the jailed MDM politician, has been freed. His fight for justice continues, but he is at least now at liberty.

The same cannot be said for the three Christian missionaries arrested a month ago in Inhambane. They will be in jail for at least four months while prosecutors prepare their case, according to one of the men’s lawyers. 

The weekend brought another example of police around the country using the spectre of terrorism to arrest whomever they choose. This time, a community activist from a village in Tete which will have to move to make way for the Mphanda Nkuwa hydropower project, was the target. 

Carlos Maione, also known as Óscar, was in Maputo last month participating in a workshop on “corporate impunity and human rights”, organised by the environmentalist NGO Justiça Ambiental. On his return home, he was summoned to appear at the police station on 2 December where — according to an account published by Justiça Ambiental on their Facebook page — he was held for 10 hours, interrogated, threatened, and accused of recruiting villagers for the Cabo Delgado insurgency, by police who refused to see evidence that he had been at a workshop in Maputo. What is more, the local authorities have warned that anyone else from the area who attended the workshop will also be questioned.

Meanwhile, impunity reigns for those who actually do break the law. As we reveal in an investigation today, Chinese businessmen in Sofala have been exporting thousands of tonnes of unprocessed timber over the past few years, in defiance of the law — and occasionally being fined for it, but not to the extent that they have to stop.

And at least one Mozambican parliamentarian is a ‘drug baron’, according to an accusation from opposition parliamentarian Venancio Mondlane — apparently backed up by a police investigation.

More detail below for subscribers — but the Chinese logging investigation is free for all to read.

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Agenda:

• Tomorrow: Bank of Mozambique and CTA organise an information session for business on monetary policy, 10:30 to 12:00. Join online at http://bit.ly/3VjaJ9d

• Tomorrow-Wednesday: Renewable energy business conference in Mozambique. Details here

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The latest from Zitamar News:

Chinese businessmen in Sofala export thousands of tonnes of illegal logs, data shows
Chinese businessmen operating in Sofala have exported thousands of tonnes of unprocessed timber from Mozambique over recent years, in defiance of a Mozambican ban, Chinese import data shows

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Also in the news:

• Judge finds no evidence against eight of the accused in the 'hidden-debts' trials

• Delay in securing pensions for former Renamo guerrillas in Zambézia

• Police want to question member of parliament accused of being ‘drug baron’

• MDM politician freed after almost 5 years in jail

• Missionaries jailed on terror charges face at least 4 months in prison

• Mozambique to help Malawi with its fuel shortages, President Nyusi says

• Heavy sands project inaugurated in Gaza

Today’s front pages in Maputo. Photo © Faizal Chauque / Zitamar News