Maputo 2008 & 2010:
Poverty Reduction and Urban Revolts
Presentation for the EADI Working Group on Urban Governance
17 March 2011
Inge Tvedten
Senior Researcher CMI
Introduction
• Part of larger series: Two studies on poverty in Maputo (2007-2010)
• High level of urban vs. rural
poverty in Mozambique (50 % vs.
57%)
• Poverty rate in Maputo reduced between 2003-2009 (55% to 36%)
• Two large uprisings (Feb2008, Sep2010) sparked by price- increases
• Immediate concessions by the Government (continued
Analytical Framework
• Structural constraints and human agency (Bourdieu’s ’praxis
theory’)
• Cities represent different structural constraints and
opportunities than rural areas do
• Unemployed and poor men lose their authority and self-esteem and have their agency restricted
• Women have their social space extended through the options for income in the informal economy and less socio-cultural control
Socio-Economic Inequality
• Employment and housing the two key issues with material as well as socio-cultural ramifications
• Richest/poorest quintile food- housing expenditure 50% vs.
80%
• Processes of marginalisation of the very poorest
• Differences in poverty levels between the bairros
• Most consistent reduction in poverty among urban FHH
Socio-Cultural Conditions
• Relatively high level of education, particularly among the young (Primary completion rate 92%)
• Relatively poor health indicators, particularly as regards nutrition (Calorie poverty rate 75%)
• Precarious environmental conditions (pollution, waste, floods)
• Limited extent of urban-rural relationships (the poorest
’trapped’)
Politics and Governance
• ‘Informal’ political control by Frelimo down to the levels of
‘quarterões’ and ‘dez casas’
• Frustration with the political system (low participation in municipal elections at 28%)
• Poor communication between central and municipal govern- ment and the communities
• Exceptionally limited extent of
‘associational life’ and basis for organisation
The Urban Uprisings
• Sparked by price increases on fuel/transport (2008) and
food/energy (2010)
• Quickly spread by cell-phones and words of mouth, and
effectively ’paralysing’ the city
• Immediate response from the government by reintroducing subsidies (2% of GDP in 2010)
• Quickly calmed down, but tension
’simmering’ under the surface
Tentative Explanations
• Urban poverty more complex than simple poverty lines imply
• The commodification and ensuing vulnerability of urban life
• Un-fulfilled expectations of ‘urban modernity’ among youth
• Women more social space and less patience with social injustice
• Inadequate outlets for real political participation
