Maputo Travel Advice: prepare for any eventuality

Maputo Travel Advice: prepare for any eventuality

For anybody travelling to surf the many waves that make you pass through Maputo…

The place is wild! Especially the cops. They will chase you down for nothing. Especially when driving in traffic. Or even walking down the street at night.

It is a beautiful city. Or, once was, a beautiful city. But since Frelimo run the place, this is what you get.

Rubbish strewn across the broken pavement. Gaping holes in the roads. Unreliable airline. No trains. Corrupt officials on every corner. You can tell who they are by the fancy cars they drive. Same as in South Africa. Or most other governments in Africa.

Renamo have struggled to stem this tide of corruption and neglect for over three decades. This is what happened in Maputo recently…

Ok so once again, I got ‘AL’ to create the featured image for this post. And I figured to use ‘AL’, to gain some context and perspective…

Some political background from Chat GPT…

“Renamo (Resistência Nacional Moçambicana) and Frelimo (Frente de Libertação de Moçambique) have been central players in Mozambique’s complex political landscape since the country gained independence from Portuguese rule in 1975. The struggle between these two political entities has been marked by periods of armed conflict, peace negotiations, and political tensions.

Initially, Frelimo, led by President Samora Machel, dominated Mozambique’s political scene. Renamo, formed in 1976, emerged as an anti-government rebel group, and the country experienced a devastating civil war that lasted until 1992. The conflict caused widespread displacement, economic hardships, and loss of life.

In 1992, the Rome General Peace Accords were signed, officially ending the civil war. Renamo transformed into a political party, participating in Mozambique’s multi-party elections. Despite occasional disputes and allegations of electoral irregularities, the political landscape seemed to be evolving toward stability.

However, tensions resurfaced in the 2014 elections, with Renamo challenging the results and accusing Frelimo of electoral fraud. The subsequent years saw a resurgence of violence, as Renamo militants clashed with government forces. In 2019, a peace agreement was signed between President Filipe Nyusi of Frelimo and Renamo’s leader Ossufo Momade, aiming to put an end to hostilities.

Fast forward to recent events, Renamo staged a demonstration in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, as a form of political expression. Demonstrators may have voiced concerns related to political representation, socio-economic issues, or the implementation of the peace agreement. Demonstrations and political activism are crucial components of the ongoing dialogue and negotiation between Renamo and Frelimo, reflecting the challenges and aspirations of Mozambique’s political landscape.

It’s important to note that the situation in Mozambique is dynamic, and developments may have occurred since my last knowledge update in January 2022. For the latest and most accurate information, please refer to current news sources.“

Written by ChatGPT

Moving along

So that wasn’t too bad either. So now I am feeling quite clever, both these ‘AL’ augmented posts took a fraction of the time it would have taken me to type out my opinion.

Little did I know what was about to unfold…in the next few posts…

Post prepped by The Sardine News.

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