Mozambique: Government says benefits for former presidents aim to ensure dignity

The Mozambican government said on Tuesday that the recent definition of benefits for former heads of state, which has sparked criticism in society, aims to ensure “dignity” and “appropriate conditions” for the exercise of their roles after leaving office. “What the Mozambican state has done is to establish and regulate the benefits it believes are deserved by leaders who have left office and must maintain dignity, because they were presidents who led the country and played an important role,” government spokesperson Salim Valá said in response to journalists’ questions after the weekly Council of Ministers meeting in Maputo. Former presidents of Mozambique are now entitled, each, to 30 days of annual leave paid by the state, an office, a pension, a salary and eight vehicles, among other benefits, as determined by the government.

At issue is a Council of Ministers decree, reported this week by Lusa and which entered into force on 27 March, regulating what had until now been common practice regarding the “duties and rights of the President of the Republic after leaving office”, based on provisions in the Constitution. Mozambique currently has three former presidents: Joaquim Chissano, who served from 1986 to 2005, Armando Guebuza, from 2005 to 2015, and Filipe Nyusi, from 2015 to 2025. “There are rights and benefits enshrined for these leaders, and what has been done is to regulate them.

We believe this discussion is being followed closely, but all Mozambicans want their leaders — current and former — to have dignity and operate under appropriate conditions,” Valá said, noting that these rights are established by law. Former presidents are entitled to an office, “special protection and security” provided by the military household, a survivor’s pension, an “exceptional” salary, a housing allowance, transport, medical and pharmaceutical assistance, travel, and “technical and support staff”, all funded by the state. The regulation also provides that the spouse and surviving heirs of former presidents are entitled to a survivor’s pension equivalent to 100% of the updated salary or pension.

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“The President of the Republic after leaving office resides in a private residence,” the regulation states, adding that they are also entitled to a maintenance and furnishing allowance for their home, granted once every three years and set in the State Budget. They are also entitled to transport, including two official vehicles, two escort vehicles, one service vehicle assigned to the residence, two vehicles for personal use by the spouse and dependent children, and one vehicle assigned to the office, all new and replaced every five years. “The state covers the costs of medical and pharmaceutical care for the former President of the Republic, their spouse, dependent children and dependent ascendants,” the regulation states, adding that the state must also ensure health insurance coverage.

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