Maputo — Mozambique's Minister of Labour, Helena Taipo, on Friday sacked with immediate effect the general manager of the National Social Security Institute (INSS), Rogeria Muianga.

The laconic press release announcing Muianga's dismissal said this was due to "recent events in the institution, concerned with its management".

The INSS has been rocked by scandals, which provoked the resignation of the chairperson of the INSS board, Inocencio Matavele, in mid-June.

There was an outcry against the INSS top management when the Mozambican media discovered that the INSS awarded a 25 million meticais (about 900,000 dollars) contract to the company Ntuzi Investments to supply stationary and information material.

This sum was five times higher than bids from Ntuzi's competitors. Taipo cancelled the tender on the grounds that the INSS had violated the legal requirements concerning tenders.

Shortly afterwards, it was reported that the INSS had spent 100,000 dollars buying a house in the southern city of Matola for Muianga, and no less than 300,000 dollars to refurbish this house.

Attorney General, Augusto Paulino, announced in June that he intended to appoint a team to investigate the tender and allegations of INSS mismanagement. Paulino ordered all files relating to INSS to be delivered to the Attorney General's Office.