Yellow Card to Governor Margarida Mapandzene: From Flattery to Drought and Famine in Gaza

This Yellow Card is unequivocally addressed to the Governor of Gaza Province, Margarida Mapandzene, for her shameful and morally unacceptable conduct in offering, on behalf of a province ravaged by drought and famine, a disproportionate amount of agricultural products to the President of the Republic. This gesture, in addition to being an affront to the dignity of the people of Gaza, represents an attack on common sense, ethics, and respect for the victims of a humanitarian crisis that has been ongoing for years.

While thousands of families struggle daily to secure a plate of food and travel miles in search of clean water, the Governor has opted for the spectacle of flattery, completely deflecting her fundamental duty: to protect and serve the population. The drought in Gaza is not an isolated incident; it is a persistent tragedy that claims lives, destroys families, and perpetuates cycles of misery. In a context of extreme scarcity, displaying abundance and offering excessive supplies constitutes not only insensitivity but a direct provocation of collective suffering.

Although practices of sycophancy and political servility have been a constant throughout the history of the ruling party, the current situation shows that such acts are no longer acceptable. Mozambican civil society today demonstrates greater vigilance and critical capacity, refusing to tolerate spectacles of political submission while hunger and deprivation affect the most vulnerable. This episode, therefore, highlights a shift in attitude among the population and civil society, demanding greater responsibility and ethics from public leaders.

The Governor's gesture, far from being formal or innocent, reveals a calculated political move, designed to please the Head of State at the expense of the population's needs. Gaza doesn't need pageantry or symbolic gifts to central government figures; it needs effective drought mitigation policies, irrigation infrastructure, sustainable agricultural support, and food distribution. By failing in this duty, Mapandzene demonstrated a complete disconnect with the priorities of those who govern.

Even more serious is the message this gesture sends to the country. The act reinforces the culture of "sycophancy," a practice of servility that corrodes public institutions in Mozambique, placing personal interests and power calculations above morality, ethics, and commitment to the most vulnerable. Instead of being a spokesperson for the suffering of her people, the Governor has become complicit in a system that normalizes suffering and turns poverty into a bargaining chip for political gain.

Meanwhile, the reports from Gaza are clear and devastating: parched fields, decimated livestock, malnourished children, and entire communities in despair. Faced with such a reality, it is unacceptable that the provincial leader displays abundance and transforms it into a spectacle of political handouts. This behavior demonstrates that Margarida Mapandzene governs to please the central government and not to serve the population, using the people's suffering as a tool for political advancement and to fuel the propaganda machine.

A leader who doesn't feel the pain of his people doesn't deserve the position he holds. The drought in Gaza required solidarity, strategic planning, and the implementation of concrete responses: distribution of drinking water, food subsidies, strengthening resilient agricultural production, and public policies to support affected communities. None of this translated into concrete actions; theatrical gestures prevailed.

By bowing to central power, Margarida Mapandzene forgot that the citizens of Gaza entrusted her with their voice, guardian, and protector. Instead of demanding resources and solutions, she chose flattery, theatrics, and total surrender to political gamesmanship, ignoring the stark reality of thousands of families living in uncertainty about their next meal.

This isn't just a one-off mistake, but a failure of character and leadership. This episode reveals a political culture of disregard for human suffering, which perpetuates cycles of poverty and dependence. The drought in Gaza could have been addressed with long-term policies: building dams, drilling water wells, distributing climate-adapted seeds, and technical support to farmers. However, such actions have been replaced by political pretense and servility.

The offer made to the President is not only immoral; it is symbolic of the degeneracy of Mozambican politics. It represents the hollowing out of the state's function, which should serve the people, not be used as a platform for flattery. While the majority go hungry, leaders stage abundance. This gesture further highlights the political system's inability to regenerate itself, rewarding ridicule over seriousness.

More than a simple act, it's a clear sign of social insensitivity. When a provincial leader chooses to mask reality instead of confronting it, they not only fail in their mission but also exacerbate the distrust between those governed and those governing.

For these reasons, this Yellow Card is not merely symbolic; it is a firm call for political accountability. We demand that the Governor be publicly reprimanded for her violation of the law of public probity and her complete lack of respect for the people of Gaza. The central government must recognize the gravity of this moral offense and treat it with the seriousness it deserves. Gaza needs committed leadership, not representatives who use the suffering of others as a platform for flattery.

The Mozambican people have already shown their weariness with rulers who forget who they are supposed to serve. Margarida Mapandzene has failed glaringly. At a time when children go to school without food, peasants abandon their fields due to lack of rain, and women walk in the sun in search of water, the Governor should be calling for solutions, investments, and humanitarian aid. Instead, she opted for political ridicule and the dismantling of public service.

This Yellow Card is, therefore, a moral and political denunciation: Margarida Mapandzene does not deserve to continue as Governor of Gaza. Her place must be filled by someone who understands the weight of responsibility and who puts the people above any personal interests or political calculations. Gaza needs dignity, respect, and concrete action. Margarida Mapandzene has demonstrated the opposite and, therefore, receives this Yellow Card with all firmness, in the name of justice, ethics, and the defense of the Mozambican people.