General Elections 2024: Venâncio Mondlane calls for renegotiation of Mega-Projects
Independent presidential candidate for the October 9 elections, Venâncio Mondlane, advocates for the urgent renegotiation of mega-projects "for the benefit of Mozambicans."
Speaking at a public presidential debate held at one of the universities in the capital, Mondlane stated, "We must renegotiate, and we can only do so if we are honest."
He further asserted that the implementation of mega-projects is marred by corruption, often driven by the government rather than foreign investors, which demands tax exemptions.
"The government proposes the exemptions," he emphasized, pointing out that this occurs because "there are individuals connected to power who seek personal gains that harm the country."
Mondlane also insisted that to ensure good governance, the President's powers must be reduced, and public administration should be depoliticized.
He listed several positions that, in his view, should be abolished, including Vice-Ministers and Provincial Secretaries of State, arguing that there is nothing done by a Secretary of State that could not be handled by the provincial governor.
Mondlane also noted that, far from diminishing, poverty has increased in Mozambique in recent years, citing the World Bank as reporting that the number of Mozambicans living below the poverty line rose from 48.4 percent of the population in 2015 to 62.8 percent in 2020.
