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Post by geirr on Apr 16, 2004 4:02:49 GMT -5
A BBC report on the transformation of the Mozambique economy.
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Post by berschneider on Apr 16, 2004 4:38:32 GMT -5
A BBC report on the transformation of the Mozambique economy. "Kill the crocodile while it's still young." I like it;)
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Post by Silveira on Apr 16, 2004 5:17:57 GMT -5
Mozambique has experienced very high economic growth since the mid 1990s but they still have quite a long way to go just to get to where they were in the early 1970s. For example, just west of Lourenço Marques there exists a town called Matola which was one of the main industrial centres in southern Africa before 1975. The abandoned factories and delapidated houses remain as an example of Marxist economic and social mismanagement as well as the proxy war fought between the USA and the USSR by their local African pawns. Lourenço Marques (Maputo), although somewhat recovered since the end of the civil war, still has a very run down feel to it, the streets are full of potholes and the former office buildings in the centre of town still house squatters in their upper floors.
Mozambique lacks the mineral resources of some other African countries and this has helped stabilize the situation, unlike in Angola where a small ruling clique has benefitted so much from the chaotic situation that they have no interest in resolving the country´s problems.
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Post by Silveira on Apr 16, 2004 5:22:26 GMT -5
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Post by geirr on Apr 17, 2004 0:44:11 GMT -5
Mozambique has experienced very high economic growth since the mid 1990s but they still have quite a long way to go just to get to where they were in the early 1970s. For example, just west of Lourenço Marques there exists a town called Matola which was one of the main industrial centres in southern Africa before 1975. The abandoned factories and delapidated houses remain as an example of Marxist economic and social mismanagement as well as the proxy war fought between the USA and the USSR by their local African pawns. Lourenço Marques (Maputo), although somewhat recovered since the end of the civil war, still has a very run down feel to it, the streets are full of potholes and the former office buildings in the centre of town still house squatters in their upper floors. Mozambique lacks the mineral resources of some other African countries and this has helped stabilize the situation, unlike in Angola where a small ruling clique has benefitted so much from the chaotic situation that they have no interest in resolving the country´s problems. Mozambique is abundant in mineral resources which is largely untapped and a great potential of future earnings. I'm not able to see those clips because I don't have broadband but it all seems to be glossed up Portuguese propaganda about just how idealic Mozambique was when the Portuguese were there. You are not seriously suggesting that the people of Mozambique should give up any right to self determination and just accept being a colony and nothing more than a source of cheap labour as under Portuguese rule?
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Post by Silveira on Apr 17, 2004 13:33:07 GMT -5
Mozambique lacks those minerals which provide immediate lavish incomes for the local ruling elites such as gold, diamonds and petroleum. Mozambique´s most important mineral resource is coal which, although essential for industrial development, is costly to mine and transform. This fact has been beneficial because it has prevented the emergence of an ultra-corrupt parasitic cleptocracy which lives off of oil and diamond revenues, such as what currently exists in Angola.
Mozambique´s main economic potential is in agriculture and related industries, fishing and related industries (Mozambique has the best prawns and lobster in the world), hydro-electric energy production (such as the Caborra Bassa Dam), tourism (both beaches/fishing as well as safari/hunting).
Mozambique still has a long way to go but at least they are on the right track, unlike some other African countries which come to mind. I think their frustrated communist experiment has taught them many good lessons.
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Post by berschneider on Apr 17, 2004 15:32:55 GMT -5
Mozambique lacks those minerals which provide immediate lavish incomes for the local ruling elites such as gold, diamonds and petroleum. Mozambique´s most important mineral resource is coal which, although essential for industrial development, is costly to mine and transform. This fact has been beneficial because it has prevented the emergence of an ultra-corrupt parasitic cleptocracy which lives off of oil and diamond revenues, such as what currently exists in Angola. Mozambique´s main economic potential is in agriculture and related industries, fishing and related industries (Mozambique has the best prawns and lobster in the world), hydro-electric energy production (such as the Caborra Bassa Dam), tourism (both beaches/fishing as well as safari/hunting). Mozambique still has a long way to go but at least they are on the right track, unlike some other African countries which come to mind. I think their frustrated communist experiment has taught them many good lessons. I agree - very sound analysis of what predisposes or prevents emergence of native cleptocracies in poor countries.
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Post by Silveira on Apr 18, 2004 9:11:05 GMT -5
This is what has happened in Angola since the collapse of the communist dictatorship there in 1989. More recently, the end of the civil war with the death of Jonas Savimbi has finally brought peace but what we now have before us is a country in ruins in which a small number of families detain an enormous amount of wealth. Angola would probably be better off if it just had coal instead of diamonds and petroleum...
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