The Challenge....

I am often asked what I am doing in Mozambique. The short answer is usually Police Reform with the UNDP. But I find that explanation obscures the reality of the challenge at hand.

Police reform occurs everywhere, even in the most developed of nations. The role of those mandated with the responsibility of public safety and security evolves with the society that they serve. Many factors come into play, not least of which the nature of the state's political arrangement and its socio-economic condition. These are as unique to Mozambique as they are in other places.

I do not have the time or the expertise at this point to attempt an amateur explanation of the condition in which Mozambique finds itself. Moreover, any version I can give you here would be oversimplified. So instead I decided to post a recent article found in a daily online news brief that is circulated among the international community here. I consider it fair and balanced.

However, you must note that the news story presented here is much more complex than it appears, and that there are numerous views, theories, and angles which have some credibility found in various media publications in this country. Unfortunately they are all in Portuguese. Regardless, given my position here it is best that I do not appear to promote any particular position.

Thus what follows stands as an example of what is becoming the reality here in Maputo.

MURDERED POLICE OFFICERS WERE BETRAYED

Maputo, 20 Aug (AIM) - The Mozambican Police (PRM) believes that a leak of information, and possibly treason, were behind the brutal murder of an unfortunate trio of plain clothes police officers, who were killed in Maputo on Friday, when they were sprayed with a hail of AK-47 assault rifles bullets by a gang of yet unidentified criminals.

The assassins are still at large. The incident was reported around 11:30 PM at the Av. de Angola, in front of a branch of the Banco Austral, in the vicinity of the Maputo International Airport.

The trio was part of the “Rio Brigade”, a PRM special unit to deal with violent crimes, and have been identified as Gilberto Mondlane, Luís Cuco, and António Paulo.

However, the police claim to be in the possession of the identity of the gang that committed this murder, and also of another gang that shot at one police officer in a separate incident at the neighbourhood of Zona Verde, outskirts of the Maputo, in the Matola municipality on the early hours of Saturday.

As for this last incident, the police officer, whose identity was not disclosed, was hit on his leg and stomach, and had to undergo a surgery at the Maputo Central Hospital (HCM). He is reported to be in the Intensive Care Unit.

According to the police, someone within the police force may have tipped off the criminals on the route being used by the 'Rio Brigade' trio, during their patrol mission.

Then, the gang followed the police vehicle to the scene of the crime, where they opened fire, killing the driver. The uncontrolled vehicle drifted along the road, coming to a stand still after crashing against a fixed obstacle.

With the vehicle immobilized, the criminals jumped out from their car while shooting at the police officers.

Caught by surprise, the unfortunate trio had no time to return fire. The criminals really meant to kill. Inside the vehicle of the deceased, only two pistols were found.

Meanwhile, a police elite unit attended in the Zandamela district, in the southern Inhambane province, over the weekend, the funeral of a criminal known as Abrantes. He was one of the members of the gang of Agostinho Chauque, the most wanted criminal in Mozambique.

Abrantes was shot and burnt alive in the Maputo province, and died at the HCM.

The special unit sent to attend Abrantes funeral, sought to capture Agostinho Chauque and other gang members, who are accused in connection with a spate of crimes, including assassinations, bank robberies and other crimes reported in Maputo in the last few weeks.

Unfortunately for the authorities, the operation did not yield any positive results, because none of the suspects searched by the police featured in the list of wanted criminals.
(AIM)

Eating my words...

You know, I often run my mouth about the things I feel passionate about. I think it is one of the qualities I like most about myself. Hehe. But of course, even when you are arguing fervently a point a view that you believe to be socially just and balance, you run the risk of having to eat your words at a later time.

That is what I am currently doing. But doing it happily.

When I first came here I was already aware that having domestic employees to do the house work and more, was very very common, especially among foreign nationals. However, I was quite determined to not 'get lazy' as I thought of it, and lose the routine of daily and weekly chores that one builds up while living on ones own, by hiring and empregada as they say in Portuguese.

Comments like:

"well that is one of the benefits about living in Mozambique. The cheap hired help";

and

"I am doing my part for poverty alleviation. I pay my empregada USD 50 a month" (for 6 days a week for 10 hours a day for some people);

left a sour impression of this common practice, and made me all the more resolute that I would not add to these seemingly colonial attitudes.

I had little to worry during my first two months as I was staying with a friend, and like it or not, his empregada did all the house work for us both. But now as I have moved and settled into a place of my own with Kat, taken on greater responsibility at work, and Kat is working too, there are many time consuming chores and tasks that take up most of our weekends and after work hours together. Laundry has proved the hardest of tasks, especially since there is double the volume to wash.

So over the last week or so we looked around for domestic help. It is not hard to find here, as there is soo much unemployment (even a friend of mine who I occasionally hang out with asked me if I need house work done). One has to take into consideration questions of mixing friendship with employee / employer relationship; issues of privacy; and trust. So it makes the decision quite difficult at times. However, after canvassing some of our more socially equitable friends we came to an arrangement with one of them so share their empregada. Starting last week, Elena (our empregada's name) will be helping Kat and I with the house work, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She did such an amazing job, much better than either Kat or I could do (and Kat does a great job). And it is a relief to have the place sparkling.

Ultimately, it was the surprising encouragement of my Mother, urging me to give someone work and take stress off ourselves for what does not amount to a great financial sacrifice at all. We have decided to pay her for two days work as much as some pay their empregada for 6 days of work. This gives her the opportunity to supplement her income through additional work.

Kat has also shown much interest in offering her the opportunity to practice some ICT skills through using our internet to search for other job opportunities, open an email account, do research for (the classes she takes), and perhaps she will also pick up some more English from Kat, and give Kat an opportunity to practice communicating in Portuguese.

Personally, it is quite a new and different experience. I am not used to giving people chores to do, and it feels uncomfortable at times to ask someone to wash this, or clean that. I am sure I will adapt, but hope that I never get too comfortable in this arrangement.