Sustenta Workers Protest Over Unpaid Wages in Nampula

- The programme was the flagship initiative of Celso Correia and Filipe Nyusi, with multi-million-dollar investments

By Noémia Mendes

Maputo (MOZTIMES) – Over 200 extension officers of the Sustenta Programme gathered at Nampula’s Central Park last Monday morning, demanding payment of their wages, which are three months in arrears.

The atmosphere of frustration and indignation rang with the voices of men and women who have not been paid for months and have yet to receive a satisfactory explanation from the government.

Launched in 2019, Sustenta was introduced by Celso Correia, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, as the government’s flagship initiative under President Filipe Nyusi to transform subsistence farming in Mozambique. It began with an initial investment of 8 billion meticais aimed at supporting approximately 2.2 million rural households.

The programme distributed motorbikes, agricultural inputs, and training to improve productivity and ensure food security. However, for the 213 extension officers in Nampula, the current reality paints a starkly different picture.

Among them was Salimo (not his real name), a man with tired but determined eyes. “We fulfil our duties. We work in the field, under the sun and the rain, to support rural families. But our right to a salary is denied. How are we supposed to survive? How are we meant to support our families?” he lamented.

It’s not just the unpaid wages that cause frustration. Marcos (not his real name), another extension officer, highlighted the lack of working tools: “The motorbikes we received in 2021 are now out of service due to lack of fuel and maintenance. Yet they still expect results. How can we work without resources? We just want what is rightfully ours.”

Wage arrears have become a persistent issue in Nampula. “Every time we speak to the media, the money appears. But that’s it. After that, everything goes back to the same. It’s like living in an endless cycle of empty promises,” Salimo added.

Isabel (not her real name), one of the few women among the protesters, emphasised the personal toll of the delayed wages. “Three months without pay. How are we supposed to feed our families? We are forced to leave our homes and risk our lives in the field. We have no salary, no fuel, nothing. Yet they still expect results. This is inhumane.”

In Nampula, a province that accounts for nearly 20% of Sustenta beneficiaries, the lack of resources directly affects the programme’s reach. Of the 1,200 extension officers hired nationwide, the 213 in Nampula report that only 35% of the motorbikes distributed remain operational due to poor maintenance. Additionally, the lack of fuel hampers assistance to thousands of farming households.

The protests not only expose the precarious conditions faced by the extension officers but also highlight the fragility of a programme that, on paper, promised to transform rural families’ lives. While provincial authorities acknowledge the issue, as stated by Isaac Jamal, the provincial delegate of the Agricultural Promotion and Rural Extension Fund, the explanations offer little solace to those dependent on their wages.

“We are experiencing delays in the payment of wages for the 213 extension officers due to late disbursement of funds by the National Treasury. We have done our part: the payroll has been prepared and submitted to the Treasury. Now, we wait,” Jamal explained.

However, for the extension officers gathered at Central Park, such justifications are insufficient. “While they wait, we starve. Our families suffer. We don’t want explanations; we want solutions. A wage is a right, not a favour,” Maria Isabel concluded.

Since its inception, Sustenta has invested over 10 billion meticais in technical assistance and agricultural inputs, but reports of poor management and implementation delays threaten its long-term objectives. The dissatisfaction among extension officers reflects a structural problem: how can a programme reliant on demotivated and under-resourced workers succeed?

The struggle of these professionals sheds light on broader issues of public resource management and the state’s commitment to frontline workers who face daily challenges in supporting the most vulnerable communities. For Sustenta’s extension officers, the fight for dignity and respect continues, even when their most basic needs are denied. (NM)

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