Resource information
Municipalities in Mozambique were
established by law in 1997 and elected in 1998 for the first
time, only a few years after the peace agreement. Most
inherited archaic and dysfunctional remnants of colonial and
central government systems and infrastructure, and as such
limited progress was achieved in transforming them into
functioning local governments during the first mandate
(1998-2002). During the second mandate (2003-2008), however,
significant improvements were seen as municipalities began
to grasp the nettle of local governance and some service
delivery challenges. By the end of their first decade most
municipalities have reorganized themselves to some extent
and a number have undertaken initiatives that are beginning
to bear fruit. There remains a long way to go, however,
before municipalities will be robust enough to deliver
quality local services to meet growing demand. There is a
danger that the pace of municipal technical and financial
capacity development will be overtaken by the growing
municipal population and by transfers of additional
mandates. Municipalities, central government, and the
Association of Municipalities (ANAMM) need to support
municipalities to perform their potentially significant role
in improving living conditions, stimulating growth and
cementing meaningful democracy in Mozambique. This study
provides the first integrated assessment of the challenges
of local development and service delivery through a
municipal lens. It diagnoses the underlying systemic
constraints facing municipalities, discusses some of the
specific service delivery challenges of the municipalities,
and it sets out recommendations for both central and
municipal governments to tackle some of these constraints
within an integrated and systemic framework.
