Mozambique: Former Tobacco Workers Demand Compensation

Source from:  Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo) 17 November 2008 11/18/2008

About 1,000 Mozambicans who were once seasonal workers for the now defunct Malema Tobacco Company (ETAMA), in the northern Mozambican province of Nampula, are threatening to occupy, as from Monday, the headquarters of the Malema District Economic Services, the home of the chief of these services, and the factory's premises as a means to press the government to pay them the compensation they claim is still owing. They have sent a letter to the Malema district administrator, Absalao Siueia, telling him of their intentions, and in response, he said that the authorities are to send a unit of the riot police to the place to enforce public order and tranquillity. According to a report in Monday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias", the former workers have sent about 300 of their colleagues to the neighbouring district of Lalaua to be 'vaccinated' by a witch doctor against bullets. The belief that sorcery can overcome guns is quite widespread in northern Mozambique, despite all evidence to the contrary. During the war of destabilisation there was a peasant militia in Nampula and Zambezia provinces, known as the "Naparamas", who believed their magical rituals would make them invincible to firearms. Their leader, Manuel Antonio, subsequently died in a hail of bullets. The Nampula provincial government has made it clear that it will not yield to the claims of the 4,000 or so former workers, because only 701 people had permanent contracts with the company and those have already received their due compensation. The remainder were seasonal workers in plantations in Malema, Iapala, and Ribaue, and do not have any right to compensation. These workers have been demanding compensation for several years, and in 2007 they seized the premises of ETAMA, which are now occupied by another company, the Sonil Group. It took police intervention to disperse the demonstrators. Three people were injured then, and had to undergo treatment at the Nampula Central Hospital. This case was even filed with the Petitions Commission of the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, which ruled that the former workers had no case. Enditem