Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, the party in power in Mozambique) declared this Sunday that the stated purpose of the head of state, Daniel Chapo, in the “fierce fight against corruption” evokes one of the objectives of Samora Machel, the first Mozambican president.
“This October 19th [anniversary of Machel’s death] occurs just a few days after the National Conference on Combating Corruption, at which comrade Daniel Francisco Chapo, president of Frelimo and of the Republic of Mozambique, made a commitment to a fierce fight against corruption, one of the goals that Samora Machel embraced until his death,” a party communique states.
In the message, which commemorates the anniversary of Machel’s death in a plane crash in South Africa on October 19, 1986, Frelimo “urges everyone to make this date a day of reflection on the teachings and values” of Samora Machel.
“The national unity, patriotism, fraternity, and solidarity that this immeasurably important statesman always dreamed of and achieved for his country,” the Frelimo message states.
Samora Moisés Machel was born on September 29, 1933, in Chilembene, Chókwe district, Gaza province, and on June 25, 1975, proclaimed the country’s independence as the first President of Mozambique.
The current president, Daniel Chapo, asserted on October 13 that the country’s “commitment” to fighting “the martyrdom” of corruption was “unequivocal”, and that it is necessary to end the “sense of impunity that prevails” in society and in public administration.
“Corruption is a phenomenon that destroys citizens’ trust in institutions, undermines the social fabric, diverts resources that should serve the people, weakens the economy, compromises development, and widens social inequalities,” Chapo stated at the opening of the National Conference on Combating Corruption in Maputo, organized by the Attorney General’s Office to highlight problems in the fight against corruption.
Chapo emphasized that, “in addition to the government’s five-year program”, which runs until 2029, the strategy for preventing and combating corruption in public administration was approved. This is an “essential tool in preventing and combating corruption”, based on three pillars: prevention, repression and cooperation.
In terms of prevention, the head of state highlighted the “need to cultivate a posture of integrity” in all sectors, which “means educating society in general and youth in particular about the values of ethics, honesty and integrity”.
Regarding repression [of corruption], Chapo asserted that the “commitment is unequivocal” and that “those who commit acts of corruption will be held duly accountable”, condemning the “prevailing sense of impunity” in society, which contributes to corruption’s “normalization”.
“It is imperative that we continue to strengthen oversight, investigative and justice institutions, endowing them with autonomy, qualified human resources, modern technological and material resources and financial resources, so they can carry out their actions responsibly, independently and with integrity,” the president said.
Regarding cooperation, President Chapo emphasized that the fight against corruption “cannot be conducted in isolation”, making it “essential to promote effective interaction between government agencies, civil society, the private sector, the international community, and, above all, the active participation of every citizen”.
“We want a state that operates transparently, that is accountable, that places citizens at the centre of its decisions, and that uses every metical of public funds responsibly and rigorously,” he added, while cautioning that the fight against corruption “is not won solely by approving laws, plans, strategies, or creating institutions”.
“We must do more, because we have no doubt that we are facing an evil whose prevention and combat require the involvement of all of us,” he concluded.
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