By Ricardo Dias
Maputo (MOZTIMES) – Mozambican President, Daniel Chapo, appointed Mateus Saize as Minister of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs on Thursday (29 January), completing the formation of his government team.
Saize has served as a judge on the Constitutional Council for the past ten years. The Council is the body responsible for validating election results.
The appointment comes amid ongoing debates over the independence of the judiciary, following widespread criticism of the Constitutional Council for validating the results of the 9 October 2024 elections, which opposition parties and several civil society organisations have denounced as fraudulent.
In addition to Saize, Chapo also appointed ten Provincial State Secretaries, retaining six members of the previous administration and introducing new figures affiliated with the Frelimo party.
Reappointments and New Appointees
The reappointed State Secretaries include:
• Jaime Neto – transferred from Nampula to Gaza;
• Cecília Chamutota – retained in Sofala;
• Cristina Mafumo – now in Tete, previously in Zambézia;
• Vicente Joaquim – remains in the City of Maputo;
• Fernando Bemane de Sousa – appointed to Cabo Delgado, previously in Manica;
• Lourenço Lindonde – now in Manica, previously in Gaza.
The new appointments include:
• Avelino Muchine, Frelimo’s First Secretary in Maputo province, appointed as State Secretary for Zambézia;
• Silva Livone, former secretary of the Frelimo youth wing, the Mozambican Youth Organisation (OJM), appointed as State Secretary for Niassa;
• Plácido Nerino Pereira, an official from the Ministry of State Administration and Public Service, appointed as State Secretary in Nampula;
• Bendita Donaciano Lopes, with a doctorate in Educational Psychology, appointed as State Secretary for Inhambane.
· Henriques Bongesse, former deputy minister of the sea, inland waters and fisheries, appointed as State Secretary for Maputo province.
In his address, Chapo emphasised that the government will adopt a more agile model by eliminating the position of Deputy Ministers and redefining the responsibilities of State Secretaries. “From now on, State Secretaries will have clear, well-defined responsibilities, reporting directly to Ministers,” the President stated.
The position of State Secretaries was introduced under Filipe Nyusi’s administration as a structure parallel to provincial governors. However, it has drawn criticism, as in some cases, State Secretaries are perceived to hold more power than elected governors.
With these appointments, Chapo completes his government formation, maintaining continuity with established Frelimo officials while also incorporating new figures affiliated with the party. (RD)
