Edson Macuácua is the new Minister of Education and Culture

President Daniel Chapo dismissed Samira Tovele and appointed Edson Macuácua to the Ministry of Education and Culture. In the exercise of his powers, the Head of State dismissed Samira Tovele from the position of Minister of Education and appointed Edson Macuácua to the position of Minister of Education and Culture.

Simultaneously, Isaú Menezes was appointed Secretary of State for Science and Higher Education.

The appointment of Edson Macuácua has dominated public opinion, since the new minister led the Technical Commission for the Materialization of the Political Commitment for an Inclusive National Dialogue (COTE), a process harshly criticized by civil society for allegedly not being inclusive for all Mozambicans.

On the day of her dismissal, Samira Tovele was still chairing the meeting of the Coordinating Council of the Ministry of Education and Culture, providing guidance on the sector's future work. The Presidency's statement does not clarify the reasons for the reshuffle.

Macuácua's appointment has become the focus of public debate due to his previous role as president of COTE. The commission was created by Law No. 1/2025, of April 11, and is responsible for organizing, coordinating, and implementing all activities of the inclusive national dialogue.

The composition of COTE is at the center of the controversy. The body is made up of 21 members, of whom 18 are appointed by parties with parliamentary seats and only 3 come from civil society. Critics argue that this structure marginalizes the voices of civil society, making the so-called "inclusive dialogue" a process essentially dominated by political parties, incapable of truly representing all Mozambicans.

During his leadership of COTE, Macuácua promoted several initiatives, including public hearings throughout the country, extending dialogue to rural areas, and convening extra-parliamentary parties for discussions on electoral system reform. In June 2026, COTE presented three alternative governance reform models for public scrutiny. However, these efforts failed to dispel doubts about the allegedly "non-inclusive" nature of the mechanism.