CELSO Ismael CORREIA (CC), minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has overshadowed other members of FILIPE NYUSI’s (FN) Government, using a reinforced communication team, capable of influencing positive coverage of its actions and curbing the media criticism of the executive. The various suspicious cases in which he is involved have generally been ignored.
The FRELIMO party-state is today divided between the party faction and the governmental faction. Both FN and CC belong to the latter, whose influence on the former is very limited. In 2020, FRELIMO's Political Commission blocked several names proposed for Government by FN, who nonetheless managed to keep his trusted ministers in economic portfolios, such as Mineral Resources (MAX TONELA), Industry and Commerce (CARLOS MESQUITA), Public Works ( JOÃO MACHATINE) and Agriculture and Rural Development (CC). Due to their proximity to FN, these 4 elements are internally known as the “gang of four” (AM 1232).
The weakness of many of the current rulers makes CC a prominent member of the Government, a situation that has been taken advantage of by FN in an attempt to position him as a possible pre-candidate in Congress that will decide who will succeed him. Although other names appear as possible candidates for FN’s group, CC offers more solid guarantees. READ MORE