2 October 2008
Guija — Mozambican President Armando Guebuza said on Wednesday in Guija, in the southern province of Gaza, that his government will continue strengthening the involvement of local communities in decision-making to promote rapid development in the districts to fight against poverty.
Addressing a rally in Guija town, Guebuza said that the funds allocated to the districts must have a direct impact in improving the communities' living conditions.
He stressed that the only way to defeat poverty is for the district governments and Community Councils to work in harmony with the communities to identify priorities and monitor the implementation of approved local development projects.
As part of the government's decentralization policy, Guebuza explained that, in addition to the seven million meticais (280,000 US dollars) allocated to every district every year for economic and social development, plus another two million meticais for the development of local infrastructures, the various ministries have also started channelling funds to develop their sectors in the districts.
He stressed that with such funds, districts have now, more than ever, a capacity to decide on the best strategies to improve their production and create jobs. He reiterated that this funding is for individuals or associations, acknowledged by their communities as capable of increasing food production and generating employment.
Local residents in Guija denounced to Guebuza irregularities, such as alleged mismanagement of the local investment funds, including nepotism in the attribution of the moneys.
They also asked the government to help open more drinking water sources, to provide an irrigation system for agriculture, and to extend the national electricity grid along the banks of the Limpopo river to supply existing irrigation systems rather than using expensive diesel to operate the pumps.
On the second day of his working visit to Gaza, Guebuza also visited the districts of Mabalane and Massingir.
In Mabalane, he inaugurated the local Limpopo Community Radio, a project financed by the Dutch government at a value of three million meticais about 125,000 US dollars), and also visited the Kensani Agricultural Association, which is one of the organisations benefitting from the local initiative investment fund.
This 53 member association currently produces maize, potatoes and tomatoes, but has plans to produce rice and wheat. These depend on the availability of funds to purchase new equipment, including a more powerful pump to bring water from the Limpopo.
In Massingir, Guebuza visited the local dam, which suffered serious damage in May, and also Procana, a bio-fuel project that was launched last year, and plans to produce ethanol from 30,000 hectares of sugar cane.
Final studies to determine the extent of the damage to the Massingir dam are now underway, but there are already some funds, granted by the African Development Bank, for the repairs.
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