Close encounter with the superiority in Mozambique

After courses carried out by one of MS Mozambique´s partners, poor villagers got knowledge and courage to confront white South Africans with the trouble their constructions of lodges on a beach in Southern Mozambique had caused to the local community.

By Henrik Lomholt Rasmussen, information worker MS Mozambique

It is neither by the book or by the law but it has benefited the residents in the community of Massavane in Southern Mozambique. This is the conclusion on the impact of the MS Mozambique partner ACUDES´ work with empowering civil society in Massavane, a poor area a few kilometres from the glittering Indian Ocean and the marvelous Guinjata Bay.
“Due to the information courses carried out by activists from ACUDES, we, the local citizens, got the knowledge and the courage to claim our rights and be compensated by the white Boers (South Africans) who had bought plots close to the sea and thereby cut us off from our usual paths ,” says Zacarias Wachisso from Massavane.

Foreign investors
The background is as follows: Following Mozambique´s economic growth, peace and stability after a devastating civil war, the perfect holiday spot of Guinjata Bay has attracted several investors from neighbouring South Africa who have bought land of the local government in order to construct lodges and holiday homes.
“The positive aspect of this development has been that is has created jobs for local people who work as guards, maids, waiters and other service jobs at the lodges. On the downside the Boers brought black South African construction workers to build the lodges instead of employing local people. Further, the Boers chased coconut and cashew nut farmers away from what used to be their land and forbade us to walk on their plots. This meant that we did not have access to the sea and in general often were forced to take big detours. And we could do nothing to change this,” explains Zacarias Wachisso,
These dire straits changed for the better during 2007 and 2008 when activists from ACUDES carried out courses for the inhabitants of Massavane who, among other, were informed about their rights and duties and the land law.
“We knew nothing about this. Nobody had ever told us. But the activists from ACUDES informed us that the Boers could not simply chase us away just as we, the local community, according to the Mozambican land law were entitled to receive 20 per cent of the amounts the Boers paid for the land to the government,” says Zacarias Wachisso.
Armed with this knowledge he called for a meeting with some of the South African lodge owners. Quite a challenge for a poor, black man bearing in mind that South Africa´s former apartheid regime´s brutal oppression of black people regime is far from forgotten.
“And we had similar conditions when Mozambique was a Portuguese colony (until 1975). So white is white. Many of us used to be afraid of the Boers when they raced through our villages in their big four wheel drive cars and chased us away from their plots. But after the ACUDES courses I had no fear. I knew I had the right on my side,” explains Zacarias Wachisso.
He was met with understanding from the South African lodge owners who reestablished some of the original paths, built a school and constructed a borehole as a compensation for the trouble caused by the construction of the lodges.

Big help
“It has been a big help for the community to have easier access to water just as it is great that the children now have a school made of bricks. Before they were taught sitting on the ground in the shade of a tree or in straw huts ,” says Zacarias Wachisso.
Regarding the money that the local government received for the sale of land, the community in Massavane has still not received the 20 per cent of the amount that should have been transferred.
“The money might have been “eaten” by somebody. Further, the local authorities in Massavane do not have a bank account. This makes an eventual transfer difficult,” says Zacarias Wachisso.
According to Zeca Cumbana, ACUDES activist, his organisation will look into this matter during 2010.
“Maybe the money has disappeared into somebody´s pockets. Another reason for the missing transfer could be that the person responsible for this area at the local government simply does not know about this part of the land law. Many government officials are appointed to their positions due do their relations or connections instead of their qualifications,” says Zeca Cumbana.