Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Mozambican party Anamola has submitted requests alleging unconstitutionality and illegality of the decree on benefits granted to former Presidents of the Republic, its leader, Venâncio Mondlane, announced yesterday.
At issue is the Council of Ministers decree of 23 March, which regulates the “duties and rights of the President of the Republic after leaving office” and which, according to Venâncio Mondlane, demonstrates the usurpation of the exclusive powers of the Assembly of the Republic through the creation of new rights.
“It is not for the Council of Ministers, nor for the President of the Republic, under any circumstances, to propose or approve rules relating to the rights and duties of heads of State or former heads of State. This is an exclusive matter of the Assembly of the Republic (parliament),” said the interim president of the National Alliance for a Free and Autonomous Mozambique (Anamola), at a press conference in Maputo.
The regulation, which came into force at the end of March, provides, among other aspects, that “the duties of the President of the Republic after leaving office” include “observing the high principles set out in the Constitution of the Republic and other legislation” and “contributing to strengthening citizenship” in the country. Among the rights, it includes cars, salary, health insurance, housing and an annual 30-day holiday trip with first-class air tickets, which may include a spouse and dependent or incapacitated children.
Mondlane, a presidential candidate in 2024, said his party had submitted requests to the Attorney-General’s Office (PGR) and the Ombudsman, which should be forwarded to the Constitutional Council seeking a declaration of unconstitutionality of the document.
In his view, Articles 13 and 14 of the decree contain a “simulated mechanism” designed to introduce holiday allowances for former leaders, “when it refers to 30 days during which the former head of State may travel with advisers and enjoy a set of associated rights”, which he considered contradictory to the new Single Wage Table (TSU) in the public sector and in violation of the Constitution.
“Holiday allowances, under the TSU law, are prohibited in the public sector. There is no one entitled to holiday allowances in the public sector,” he stressed.
In another request submitted to the PGR, the party calls for an order compelling the President of the Republic, Daniel Chapo, to disclose the “specific schedule” of per diem allowances for former heads of State, under Articles 13 and 14 of the regulation that came into force on 27 March.
“This decree that has been made public refers to per diem allowances, but does not point us to a specific table where these allowances are defined. Therefore, there are phantom, secret allowances that are not included in any of these documents,” said Venâncio Mondlane.
The politician explained that the salary of the President of the Republic is the benchmark in the public sector under the TSU law, arguing that a former head of State cannot earn the same as the incumbent.
Mondlane also criticised the increase in benefits and privileges granted to a certain class, which, he said, led the country “to bankruptcy and misery”. Meanwhile, he added, there are professional groups within the public sector whose rights are already legislated but which have been struggling for years for their effective implementation.
Mozambique currently has three former presidents: Joaquim Chissano, who served from 1986 to 2005, Armando Guebuza, from 2005 to 2015, and Filipe Nyusi, from 2015 to 2025.
The rights of former presidents also include an office, “special protection and security” provided by the Military Household, a survivor’s pension, an “exceptional” salary, housing allowance, transport, medical and pharmaceutical assistance, travel and “technical and support staff”.
