Mozambique - Municipal Development in Mozambique : Lessons from the First Decade - Synthesis Report

Abstract

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.