50 years of government is an eternity

Afonso Almeida Brandão"

THEThe death of Queen Elizabeth II understandably shifted the focus of the media, focusing public interest around the world on the passing of a great global leader. Seventy years of reign alone would justify the general feeling of loss, but the Queen's management throughout her reign goes far beyond that. We will now see to what extent Elizabeth II's passing will allow the emergence of certain problems and conflicts in the old British Empire and, by extension, on this poorly governed planet of ours (including the Southern African countries, specifically the Portuguese-speaking African countries, perhaps the Portuguese-speaking Portuguese-speaking Countries, and the European countries). In Mozambique, the media define the political agenda in blocks of interest, which tend to eliminate everything else that is truly happening. Out of nowhere, "poultry" commentators labeled as experts appear, and the usual political commentators unfold, covering the most diverse topics with "the wisdom of broad generalities," heavily influenced by those who pay them. We are talking, of course, about FRELIXO. Thus, amid this communications bazaar, any medium-term strategic intention, or even simply the organized approach to national problems, is lost. The FRELIMO government relishes this situation, which allows it to slip through the cracks of oblivion and the many unresolved issues.

Daniel Chapo, the current President of the Republic feeds on the same. Just when almost everyone had realized they were being deceived by the celebrated and postponed program to aid families, along with "other promises," supposedly the most needy families, the sale of LAM was announced, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. In the space of a few years, our "Flagship Company" (so they say!) was privatized, then nationalized, and now probably runs the risk of being privatized again. A carbon copy of what happened to Portugal... The same Minister who sold the country the virtuous idea of ​​nationalization, accusing the private sector of not knowing how to govern the company, at the very moment the company was trying to grow, seeking to acquire more planes, more routes, and more passengers. Using the argument of saving the company, who knows whose hand it was, he promised restructuring and making LAM lose more money. But now, amid the confusion generated by his intervention, he abandons the venture and now seeks private saviors to get him out of there before it's too late. But who are they, after all, if not the government itself? The same carbon copy of what happened to TAP in Portugal. In the meantime, billions of dollars and euros remain, which, having produced nothing and generated no income, go straight to increasing debt, which the government promises to reduce. This is FRELIXO's "chuxalist" governance in all its splendor, resulting from the management of a make-believe minister...

The Economy Minister, who was missing in action for some time, has now emerged to affirm the glorious state of Tourism, accusing a few unknown individuals of demonizing the tourism industry. The Mozambican copycat remains the same as the Portuguese situation of the AD-CDS, back on its perch. The Minister, who wrote one hundred and fifty pages on the many ways to save the Portuguese economy, has now discovered that Tourism is the right solution, leaving the country in the dark about what else the Minister has been up to these past months (both under previous governments and this current one). In fact, the only thing we know is that the desired and necessary foreign investment in industry is fleeing to Spain and that many Portuguese companies with high energy bills, such as ceramics, glass, and many others, see no way to survive.

Coincidentally, after the closure of two coal-fired power plants in Portugal, the country is now importing electricity from Spain, without "looking at the tooth." That is, it can be nuclear, coal, or gas, the cost doesn't matter, as long as the ill-fated blackouts and fires don't occur. Thus, Portugal continues to create yet another dependence on neighboring Spain. After banking (without foreign currency, as is currently the case in Mozambique!), water, and railways, we now have Spain's goodwill to solve what former Prime Minister António Costa refused to consider. We now suspect that these same Ministers of Economy (both of Portugal and Mozambique) have no idea how they will/or will implement the glorious ideas they have both been selling to the countries in countless interviews and conferences (both in Maputo and Lisbon). The praise for tourism, whose growth no one in their right mind regrets, is a good sign; it's only sad that people don't talk about the necessary industrialization, the exports we need like bread for our mouths, or about satisfying CFM (on Mozambique's side) and AutoEuropa and PSA (on Portugal's side), which have long been demanding a proper rail connection to South Africa, in the case of Maputo, and to Europe, in the case of Lisbon, an increasingly crucial factor in its survival for both Mozambique and Portugal—and the progress of exports in general. Or even the current status of the successes of lithium, hydrogen, and all the other technologies destined to save the Mozambican and Portuguese economies.

Because we cannot believe that neither of the two ministers (whether Mozambican or Portuguese) is unaware that tourism is a high-risk activity, which could disappear at any turn of history and which significantly contributes to the low national productivity and low wages so often complained about by the prime ministers of both countries. This is how, in the "chuxalist" (mis)governments of FRELIXO and AD/CDS in Lisbon, "ants turn into cicadas"... Inflation, which was supposed to be temporary, is here to stay and, as usual, falsely enriches the state and impoverishes Mozambicans and the Portuguese people. Since the Portuguese state, in partnership with the PCP and the Left Bloc, spent seven years distributing what it didn't have and discovering that working less was a national necessity, the state, instead of contributing to economic growth, further exacerbated a serious problem of economic stagnation that has already lasted for over twenty years. Of course, it is necessary to change our lives, but, as António Costa irresponsibly insisted, at the time, on clarifying, the solution to all the things that were, respectively, in the Portuguese Government's program (as well as the Mozambican Government's) we came to the conclusion that for this to happen, rulers with ideas would not be/are needed, but only helpers.

For professional reasons as journalists, the truth is that we already know the consistency of both Prime Ministers, both here and there. And some call it stubbornness, and so a "new assistant" was announced for the Mozambican Ministry of Health, who, with a single stroke of the pen, has brought the Government's Program "to glory" without any changes. But is that really the case...?! Meanwhile, the much-praised Minister of Health, the "illustrious" Ussene Hilário Isse, has tried to do things the best he knows how to avoid displeasing His Excellency Daniel Chapo; otherwise, HE should be careful, as is the health of Mozambicans...

Returning to the issue of communication, it turns out that in Portugal, as in Mozambique, ministers appear and disappear depending on the topics under discussion, whether we've had to navigate the COVID pandemic and various blunders, including aid to both states, TAP and LAM, or the death of the Queen. Therefore, we remain to be seen what useful things the two governments are doing in between, since we encounter the useless things daily in our lives. Electricity and gas bills, supermarket bills, mortgage payments, uncontrolled rent increases, and school supplies for our children are not long in coming. And because of this, we are certain that teachers are not enough to meet the needs of both countries—a fact we already knew—but the Ministers of Education in Maputo and Lisbon have now announced that the school year will begin, and have ordered a study of the matter. After taking office in both ministries, (it seems) we have men. Let's see...

I don't know if Mozambicans and Portuguese people have realized, but four or five years of a Presidency of the Republic, whether for Mozambique or Portugal, is a long time, and 50 years of a FRELIXO government without any potential "competitors," and another 50 years divided between the Portuguese Socialist Party (PS) and PSD, is an eternity worth crying out to the heavens. Thus, it is easy to predict that within four years (in the case of Portugal) and five years (in the case of Mozambique), the Portuguese and Mozambican economies will be worse off, and Portugal's lag behind the European countries in "our league" will increase. The number of young people leaving in search of a new life abroad will also remain unchanged, and the level of ignorance and poverty among large sectors of our society will remain unchanged—the same is undoubtedly true of Mozambique. If there are people out there who disagree with this pessimistic prediction, that's great, but we'd appreciate it if you could tell us how, with the same people and the same methods, we can expect different results. We look forward to hearing your case.

And a good week to all. 

2025/12/3