MOZAMBIQUE PRO-LIFE MISSIONARY VISIT REPORT
JUNE 23 – 28, 2013
Introduction
When I was winding up my fourth pro-life missionary visit to Mozambique, I knew a new landmark had been achieved and a new avenue for a pro-life ministry was opened. I left behind a remarkable network of contacts and coordination. Unlike during my previous visits, this successful visit was made possible by the cooperation of local people on the ground. God guided and cherished all activities I was engaged in.
My visit was timely, as it coincided with Mozambique’s Independence Day, June 25. It reminded me of the story of the Portuguese sailor, Vasco da Gama who visited the land in 1498, and eventually placed it under Portuguese colonialism in 1505. Therefore, we remember today 500 years Mozambicans suffered under Portuguese brutal colonial regime, whose social policy of ‘assimilado’ completely annihilated traditional African culture and turned them into ‘black Portuguese’. The Mozambican government celebrates the day of independence on June 25 of every year. However, the scene was different this year. For example, in the capital Maputo, there were literally no celebrations. Shops were open throughout the day and business continued as usual.
Poverty
Despite abundant natural resources, Mozambicans are still languishing in poverty. The main cause of this is corruption. Mozambique's economy has been shaken by a number of corruption scandals. In July 2011, the government proposed new anti-corruption laws to criminalize embezzlement, influence peddling and graft, following numerous instances of theft of public money. This has been endorsed by the country's Council of Ministers. Mozambique has convicted two former ministers for graft in the past two years. Mozambique was ranked 116 of 178 countries in anti-graft watchdog Transparency International's latest index of global corruption. According to a USAID report written in 2005, “the scale and scope of corruption in Mozambique are cause for alarm.”
Health
The fertility rate is at about 5.5 births per woman. Public expenditure on health was at 2.7% of the GDP in 2004, whereas private expenditure on health was at 1.3% in the same year. Health expenditure per capita was 42 US$ (PPP) in 2004. Infant mortality was at 100 per 1,000 births in 2005.
After its independence from Portugal in 1975, the Mozambican government established a primary health care system that was cited by the WHO as a model for other developing countries. Over 90% of the population had been provided with vaccination. During the period of early 1980s, around 11% of the government budget was targeted on health care.
The official prevalence of HIV in Mozambique in 2011 was 11.5% for the population in the age range between 15 and 49 years (a common reference for HIV statistics). This is lower than several of the neighboring countries in Southern Africa. For the southern parts of the country (Maputo and Gaza provinces) the official figures are more than twice as high as the national average. In 2011 the health authorities estimated about 1.7 million Mozambicans were HIV-positive, of whom 600,000 were in need of anti-retroviral treatment. As per December 2011 240,000 were receiving such treatment. According to the 2011 UNAIDS Report, the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Mozambique seems to be leveling off.
Abortion
Using cooked up and biased research information by the abortion lobby group, the Mozambican government seems to fall to pressure that seeks to decriminalize laws on abortion which were highly restrictive at least up to 2012. Pro-abortionists argue that in all countries that have legalized abortion maternal deaths have decreased substantially. We all know this is an absolute lie. Nowhere in the world has legalized abortion reduced the number of maternal deaths. Legalized abortion doubles the mortality rate: there are maternal deaths from so called “unsafe abortions” as well as from “safe abortions”. The mortality rate in Africa (most countries have not legalized abortion) is the lowest 3.9%, Developed countries 8.2% Latin America 12%, Asia 5.7% (from Progress in Reproductive Health Research No. 71, 2005, UNDP/UNFPA/WHO, World: Causes of maternal death). Besides, legalized abortion is linked to reproductive problems including subsequent premature deliveries and related handicaps among newborns, depression, suicide, substance abuse and a host of other negative problems impacting women and their families.
Thanks to HLI intervention in 2007 when the government wanted to send a bill to the parliament to legalize abortion. In that year HLI’s Anglophone Africa Regional Coordinator, Emil Hagamu three times travelled to Mozambique between August and November and spent a total of 39 days in Maputo and successfully ran a strong and focused campaign against abortion practices and the legalization of abortion process.
Unfortunately immediately after HLI’s hard won victory and in a bid to forcefully legalize abortion in Mozambique, WHO came out with malicious report of 2008 that claimed that 14 percent of all maternal deaths in sub Saharan Africa resulted from unsafe abortions. This report directly set the tone to pressurize the government to legalize abortion claiming such measure will save women from maternal deaths. In order to address this, in 2011, with support from the Safe Abortion Action Fund and later from the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Pathfinder International collaborated with a number of national and international civil society organization in Mozambique to form the Coalition for the Defense of Sexual and Reproductive Rights. Comprised of groups participating in a range of issues related to sexual health and rights, the Coalition, under the leadership of a Secretariat comprised of Pathfinder, Women and Law in Southern Africa, and Forum Mulher, established an ambitious agenda with revision of the Mozambican abortion laws at the forefront.
After formation, the Coalition hit the ground running. After holding meetings and advocating with members of the Mozambican Parliament and the Ministry of Health, the Coalition was invited to participate in crafting a 2011 revision of the penal code, which was then approved by the Governing Council later in 2011. Once these revisions are approved by Parliament, expected in October 2012, they would expand legal access to elective abortion to all women within their first twelve weeks of pregnancy, and beyond twelve weeks for women whose health is at risk or who are survivors of sexual assault.
The following is a list of pro-abortion coalition members working tirelessly to ensure abortion is made legal in Mozambique at the set target of March 2013.
Associacao Mocambicana para Desenvolviment da Familia (AMODEFA)
Association for the Development of Mozambican Family
Association of Women Lawyers
Coalisao da Mozambique
Forum Mulher
IPAS
Mozambican AIDS Organization
Mozambican Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
N’wetti
Pathfinder International (Mozambique)
Women and Law in Southern Africa Research and Education Trust
Women, Law, and Development
Trip accomplishments
The current trip to Mozambique had two major objectives, one; to make a follow-up on what HLI has accomplished over the years and, two; to draw a plan for a successful implementation of HLI pro-life programs in future. To accomplish these, I visited the Archbishop’s house situated along Eduardo Mondlane Street. In my discussion with Fr. Jose Jonasse I realized most Mozambicans do not know what anti-life and pro-abortion programs are taking place in their country. They even did not know whether or not abortion has been legalized this past March. From this factual information, we realized the need to first establish a pro-life movement in the country through a series of pro-life talks. Secondly, we discussed on the need to draw long term pro-life programs with the mission of building the culture of life in the entire country. Fr. Jose asked me to return to Maputo for pro-life workshop with all religious congregations in a meeting which is scheduled to take place on October 10, 2013. He also indicated the possibility of inviting all the clergy in the Archdiocese of Maputo to receive the pro-life message so they are aware of the population control programs taking place in their country and draw strategic plans on how to work respond to them. Fr. Jose received the pro-life message when Raymond de Souza and I visited St. Pio X Major Seminary in 2008.
I then visited St. Pio X Major Seminary and had talks with the Vice Rector, Fr. Pedro Sebastiao. In our positive encounter we emphasized the need to form a pro-life club at the seminary. It is anticipated that through such a club, seminarians will be equipped with the Gospel of Life message and the social teachings of the church, such that after ordination they will be capable of making it their pastoral priority. We arranged a talk with the seminarians to take place on October 12, 2013.
The following day after this encounter my host, Mr. Augusto Bassa, an assistant lecturer at one of the Universities in Maputo drove me to meet Fr. Albert Burque, Director of Radio Maria, about 10 km on the outskirts of Maputo. Fr. Albert still remembered me and during our talk I raised the request for Radio Maria to continue running pro-life programs. He consented to my request and with the pro-life material I gave him, he promised to re-start those programs immediately.
On my last day of stay in Maputo, my host and I were engaged in deep discussion on the possibility of starting the pro-life ministry, first within Maputo and later to other dioceses. To accomplish this we planned to hold a conference with selected aspirants during my visit in October and with them to advance the cause of life in the media. Fr. Timothee Bationo, a strong pro-lifer who was initiated into the ministry by Fr. Raphael Wanjohi when he was studying in Nairobi gave a very strong support. Communicating with him through the phone, Fr. Timothee suggested that after starting the program in Maputo I should make a visit to Beira to assist him start a program there. Hopefully God will bless this initiative.
Conclusion
Mozambique is ready for a pro-life movement. But we are facing a huge task of re-awakening the consciences of the people so that they are able to appreciate the sacredness of human life and to welcome and defend it. The apathy that is common among many urban Mozambicans is due to degeneration of faith in God and materialistic attitude they have copied from their former colonizers. Rural people are still vibrant with the values of human life and through them we can build a strong culture of life in Mozambique. In the mean time we need to prepare pro-life programs that should run throughout the country. The mass media is to be employed fully if we want to win the battle against the culture of death. The pro-abortion people are very aggressive in using the media. Through it they have scored a number of successes. We too can be successful; after all we have God on our side.
Emil Hagamu
HLI Regional Coordinator for Anglophone Africa
June 30, 2013