Global Voices Online

Writing about Mozambique, David notes that “USB drives” or “Memory sticks” are an incredibly handy way for people with limited resources to get their toe in the door of the technological world.

Boni Dulani describes his 36-hour bus ride from Mangochi, Malawi to Johannesburg, South Africa going through Mozambique and Zimbabwe. He concludes “despite all those challenges, there is a positive story to tell from my trip: Zimbabwe is the only country where I didn’t have to pay any bribes to get both an entry and exit visa”.

Paulo Granjo [pt] blogs about a piece of news that local newspapers in Mozambique didn't pay much attention to: an accidental leak of aniline gas in a Mozambican chemical plant caused 14 casualties. Nobody has died. “The information has been provided by the Relief Operations District Command and it is likely that nobody will ask the concerned company what happened and why”.

After a long period of debate on donor cuts to Mozambican State Budget, Joe Hanlon, a British scholar joins the debate to comment on the Mozambican government positions. In his article tittled “Government stand up to donors-but is corruption the best place to stand and fight?“, Hanlon examines the whole issue of corruption and different sensitivities over its fight. Basically Hanlon agrees that in Mozambique, corruption is not being tackled and regrets the government’s slow pace in response to constant donor appeals for the need of urgent measures in the fight of corruption.

Jest nas Wielu [pt] is helping to spread the news about a petition demanding an immediate ceasefire and the removal of Russian troops off Georgian territories.

Paulo Granjo [pt] criticizes a redundant local campaign in Mozambique to motivate woman to breast-feed, already a popular habit, which can have disastrous consequences in a country plaged by AIDS. “The most basic common sense is to detect HIV in pregnant women as early as possible, to provide them with caesarean section and provide them with the conditions not to breast-feed, because the vast majority of them will not have money for milk powder or knowledge about needs and sterilizing feeding bottles.”

Elísio Macamo [pt], a sociologist from Mozambique, writes up an article to try to answer a question put by a reader: “How do we re-introduce quality debate about politics in our society?”

Custódio Duma [pt] comments on the news that Mozambique's Defence Minister Filipe Nyussi was evacuated to South Africa after having his arm injured in a traffic accident. “Last week I heard the Health Minister say at the RDP Africa that Maputo Central Hospital has now world-class wards… So: Why is that our leaders almost never use this Hospital?”

O Silêncio de Kianda [pt] brings a good piece of news that shows people's creativity in face of food crises: bread made of cassava instead of wheat. “Nampula [a province of Mozambique] produces three million tons of cassava per year, which has proved to be enough to sustain the bakery business and consumption of the population”