Africa's Resources

Faces from Mozambique: Tete's coal rush

Paulo the manager

“Our projects help the population,“ says Paulo Horta of the mining company Vale. The Brazilian company has been active in Tete Province since 2007. During this time Vale has trained some 600 young people, Horta says. The company benefits from generous tax breaks granted by the Mozambican government.

Faces from Mozambique: Tete's coal rush

Gomes Antonio the victim

Gomes Antonio Sopa was arrested and beaten by police on January 10, 2012. He was there by chance when people demonstrated against the mine operator Vale. The company had discovered coal under some villages and had persuaded people to resettle by promising them new houses and jobs. Gomes Antonio still suffers pain from the beating.

Faces from Mozambique: Tete's coal rush

Duzeria the traditional healer

By resettling people, the mining company has destroyed old traditions, say residents of the new settlement “25th September”. Among them is the traditional healer Duzeria. The ghosts of the departed are restless, she says, because the building plans did not include a house for them.

Faces from Mozambique: Tete's coal rush

Loria the village chief

Village chief Loria Macanjo and her community will probably also be resettled. The British-Australian mining company Rio Tinto has found coal on their land. “We are not going to leave,” says Loria.

Faces from Mozambique: Tete's coal rush

Guta the businessman

Guta owns a construction and carpentry company. He employs 130 people. He has not really benefited from the upswing in the region as the orders from coal mining companies are too large for him. Once Vale ordered 5,000 doors, to be delivered within 60 days. Guta had to turn down the job.

Faces from Mozambique: Tete's coal rush

Olivia the hairdresser

Olivia (left) is 29 years old. In 2008 she fled from the inflation crisis in her home country of Zimbabwe. She had heard there were lots of opportunities in Tete. Today she works as a hairdresser and manicurist at the central market. She earns between 500 and 1,000 meticais a day (15-20 euros, US$17–34).

Faces from Mozambique: Tete's coal rush

Canelo the peanut seller

Canelo says he is 11 years old and in the second grade at school. Every afternoon he sells peanuts on the streets of Tete. “To help my mother, she has no job.” His father is also unemployed. A small bag costs two meticais (five euro cents, seven US cents), a large one costs around five meticais.

Faces from Mozambique: Tete's coal rush

Catequeta the activist

In 2001 Manuel Catequeta moved to Tete. The human rights activist knows what it is like to live with constantly rising inflation. His pay does not allow for any luxuries. One room in his small apartment serves during the day as a living room, at night it becomes a bedroom. Moving is out of the question. Today it costs around 4,000 euros (US$5,300) a month to rent a good house in Tete.

Faces from Mozambique: Tete's coal rush

Julio the optimist

Musician Julio Calengo expects good business opportunities now that so many new companies are coming to Tete. His aim is to open a cleaning company. There are now enough offices, shops and apartments that need cleaning, he says. But he does not yet have enough money to turn his plan into reality.

Author: Marta Barroso /sh | Editor : Mark Caldwell