Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi appointed a new Prime Minister for the nation along with several other ministers as part of a cabinet reshuffle.
On Wednesday, Nyusi had fired six ministers which included four holding the key portfolios of Finance, Mineral Resources, Industry, and Public Works without prior notice or a reason. It is considered a major cabinet reshuffle.
On Thursday, Adriano Afonso Maleiane was named as the replacement for Carlos Agostinho do Rosario who was the prime minister since 2015. The statement from the presidency also named Ernesto Max Tonela as the minister of economy and finance Charlos Zacairas as mineral resources and energy minister. Zacarias is currently the chairman of the National Petroleum Instituto (INP) who is responsible for licensing oil and gas projects.
This reshuffle appears to have been designed to limit the political damage resulting from the ongoing trial of 19 high-ranking officials over a $2 billion corruption scandal that has knocked the country’s economy into a deep recession.
Armando Guebuza, former president of the republic, charged former defense minister Filipe Nyusi with incurring a $2 billion debt, hiding responsibility from parliament, and buying ships that were largely docked when they were purchased
