Privileges at the top, scarcity at the bottom: how long will Mozambique sustain this contrast?

Lina Muchanga"

In a country where millions of citizens face daily difficulties in securing a meal, the announcement that former Presidents of the Republic continue to receive high salaries and luxurious benefits paid for by the State cannot go unnoticed. More than surprise, it generates indignation. It is not just about numbers, but about priorities. While a significant part of the Mozambican population struggles against poverty, unemployment, and the constantly rising cost of living, the State maintains and even reinforces a system of privileges for a political elite that has already left power, creating a contrast that is difficult to justify, both from a moral and social point of view.

The government's argument, that the amounts follow a legal logic based on the remuneration of the incumbent President, may even hold up on a legal standpoint. However, it is important to question whether legality is, in fact, synonymous with justice. In a context like that of Mozambique, where hospitals lack medicines, schools operate with numerous limitations, and many families live in precarious conditions, maintaining high salaries and luxurious benefits for former leaders seems increasingly distant from the reality experienced by the majority of the population.

Even more worrying is the set of associated perks, which includes regularly renewed luxury cars, first-class travel, various subsidies, and extensive medical assistance. All of this is financed by a State that, on several occasions, calls for restraint and sacrifice from its citizens. This situation raises an inevitable question: what message is being conveyed to society? The idea that public service is a commitment to the common good, or the perception that it is a path to lifelong privileges?

At a time when the country faces profound economic challenges, a clear sign of social sensitivity and responsibility in the management of public resources would be expected from the Government. Reviewing these benefits would not only be an economic decision, but also a symbolic gesture of respect for the citizens who support the State with their taxes, often at the cost of great sacrifices.

Mozambique needs policies that bring government closer to the people, not policies that further deepen the distance between them. Ultimately, the legitimacy of political decisions is not limited to their legal basis, but is measured, above all, by their ability to respond to the real needs of the population. And, given this scenario, a legitimate question remains: who is, in the end, being prioritized?

2025/12/3