Jump to content

Urban poverty

‘Mucupuki’: social relations of rural-urban poverty in central Mozambique

Reasons for high localisation of inequality in Mozambique

Authors: C. Rosário; I. Tvedten; M. Paulo
Publisher: Chr. Michelsen Institute, Norway, 2009

Full text of document

The objective of this study on poverty in Mozambique is to support the government in monitoring and evaluating the ongoing "Action Plan for the Reduction of Absolute Poverty". The paper focuses on social relations of poverty in the interface between rural and urban life, paying special attention to the district of Buzi in central parts of the country.

Supported by national data, the paper notes that inequality in Mozambique is highly localised, implying that there are important local processes of marginalisation and social exclusion in the country. In particular, it indicates that Buzi communities reveal differences in economic adaptations and socio-cultural organisation, largely due to external conditions.

Accordingly, the paper introduces the following recommendations:

  • finding better ways to capture rural-urban linkages and their potential magnitude for poverty alleviation is of high importance
  • Buzi should be given more autonomy in its efforts to develop further and alleviate poverty
  • further effort should be made to better separate the state apparatus from the party
  • a transparent and fair means of distributing funds should be secured
  • considering the successful experiences, the government and donors alike should re-assess their current skepticism towards integrated rural development programmes
  • renewed efforts should be made to support the establishment of associations in agriculture, among small-scale traders and in the form of savings- and credit societies
  • intensified efforts to improve communication with urban areas, both by road, waterway and telecommunication should be put in place
  • also efforts should be made to support the marketing of agricultural products from the more marginal areas in Buzi
  • targeted interventions for the marginalised people should be pursued by government and aid agencies
  • "food for work" or "cash for work" programmes are a good way to combine community development and income-generation for the poor.