PÚNGUÈ UNIVERSITY

Faculty of Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Advantages and Disadvantages of Democracy in Mozambique

Degree in Biology teaching with qualifications in Chemistry teaching

Amide Roque Carlos

Amílcar Luciano Carlos

Assima Sermane

Daniel Baker Daniel

Mara Chaua

Racila Sérgio Tomás

2nd Year
5rd Group

Tete
April, 2024
 Amide Roque Carlos

Amílcar Luciano Carlos

Assima Sermane

Daniel Baker Daniel

Mara Chaua

Racila Sérgio Tomás

Advantages and Disadvantages of Democracy in Mozambique

Work to delivered to the University Púnguè Tete

Extension in the department of agricultural and
Biological Sciences for English chair as a
requirement for evaluation on teacher guidance:
Dr. Ezequiel Njirazafa

Tete
April, 2024
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Index
1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 4

1.1. Objectives ........................................................................................................................ 4

1.1.1. General objective ...................................................................................................... 4

1.1.2. Specifics objectives .................................................................................................. 4

1.2. Methodology ................................................................................................................... 4

2. Advantages and Disadvantages of Democracy in Mozambique ........................................ 5

3. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 10

4. Bibliographic Reference ................................................................................................... 11

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1. Introduction
Non-current research work the group intends to make an approach about the Advantages and
Disadvantages of Democracy in Mozambique, first we have to know that Democracy is the
government regime whose origin of power comes from the people, where it presents
advantages such as political equality, responsibility, protection of human rights, etc., in
addition to the advantages It also has its disadvantages, such as slow decision-making, among
others.

1.1. Objectives

1.1.1. General objective

 Learn about the advantages and benefits of democracy in Mozambique.

1.1.2. Specifics objectives

 Identify the advantages and advantages of democracy in Mozambique;
 Describe the advantages and advantages of democracy in Mozambique;
 Find out what these advantages and advantages of democracy in Mozambique are
like.

1.2. Methodology
The elaboration of the work was possible through the use of the bibliographic research
method, which involves the consultation of manuals, articles, books, magazines, among other
sources that have scientific character, thus being recognized and scientifically approved.
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2. Advantages and Disadvantages of Democracy in Mozambique

In Mozambique In the case of Mozambique, reference to patronage and clientelism dynamics
is more common than neopatrimonialism per se, and this will be the option in this article.
Even though these are related concepts, an in-depth discussion on neopatrimonialism would
require the treatment of questions of authority that enter the debate on practices considered
traditional and how they relate to State bureaucracy, which is beyond the scope of this article.

The second element highlighted by Cheeseman as an obstacle to democracy in Africa is the

“gatekeeper state”, a concept developed by historian Frederick Cooper (2002), which refers
to the form of State management based on controlling flows entering and leaving the country.
According to Cooper, this form of government comes from colonialism, since colonial
management itself was based on controlling the intersection between the colonial territory
and the outside world, since its capacity for social and cultural penetration into the interior
was weak. Since the independence processes, there has been a dispute over the position of
“guardian of the doors of the State”, since whoever controls the “doors” controls the
resources coming from exports and import taxes. Over time, this created a situation in which,
instead of the government relying on taxes from the population to finance bureaucracy and
public services, it became the main provider of goods (and jobs) for the population
(Cheeseman 2015).
This circumstance, in turn, increased the potential for using clientelism and patronage
mechanisms. Finally, Cheeseman refers to the types of legacy of the nationalist struggle as a
third factor that influences democracy in Africa, focusing on the ambivalence of the idea of
national unity generated from these movements. On the one hand, the anti-colonial struggle
would have created a sense of unity and identity. On the other hand, however, the discourse
of unity would have been used politically to mask deep divisions over political agendas and
world views in the post-independence period.
In the case of Mozambique, these three elements are important for understanding the path to
democracy and are interconnected. However, in addition to these factors, another aspect must
be included that also influences the democratic process in many countries in Africa: the
occurrence of prolonged armed conflicts in the post-independence period and their effects on
the process of establishing the State. Although this is to some extent related to the factors
above, it is an element that carries additional complications, from a history of broad
polarization and distrust among political elites, to the physical destruction of infrastructure
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and the functioning of the State, in addition to trauma collective social. Furthermore,
especially from the 1990s onwards, most of these armed conflicts were followed by
international interventions that led to a peacebuilding process, with varying degrees of
success.
For Lalá and Ostheimer (2004), it presents the following advantages for democracy in
Mozambique:
Political equality: Democracy promotes the principle of political equality, in which all
citizens have the same opportunities to participate in the decision-making process, regardless
of their social, economic or cultural context, avoiding dictatorship and the centralization of
decision-making power .
Accountability: Elected officials are accountable to the people who elected them. If they do
not perform well or do not represent the interests of their voters, they may be removed from
office in the following elections.
Protection of human rights: Democracies tend to defend and protect individual rights and
freedoms, such as freedom of expression, freedom of the press and the right to a fair trial,
which are essential to a just society.
Peaceful Conflict Resolution: In democratic systems, political conflicts and disagreements
are often resolved through peaceful means such as elections, negotiations and legal processes,
reducing the likelihood of violence or civil unrest.
Checks and balances: Many democracies incorporate systems of checks and balances to
prevent the concentration of power. The separation of powers between the different branches
of government helps maintain stability and avoid authoritarianism.
Stability and governance Legitimacy: Democratically elected governments often have
greater legitimacy and stability, as their authority derives from the consent of the governed.
This can lead to more effective governance.
Innovation and adaptation: Democracies tend to be more open to new ideas and
innovations, as they encourage diverse perspectives and contributions from a wide range of
citizens.
Economic prosperity: Democracy can promote economic development and prosperity by
creating an environment that encourages entrepreneurship, investment and economic
freedom.(Ostheimer.2004)
Since its origins, the international peacebuilding agenda has been fundamentally based on the
promotion of democracy – even if understood in a minimalist way –, with a focus on
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institutional procedures, such as holding elections (Maschietto & Cavalcante 2022). At the
same time, there was little discussion about the institutional design of this system and its
suitability for consolidating peace in countries emerging from war. It was assumed that the
rules associated with multiparty democracy would be sufficient to boost democratic
consolidation and, therefore, promote stability and peace, which was not proven (Bakarr Bah
2020). On the contrary, the implementation of democracy has often polarized societies and
reignited conflicts shortly after the electoral process (Manning 2002).
Meanwhile, the economic and development agenda that accompanied these reforms presented
no concern with potential social conflicts, and the emphasis remained on the (neo)liberal
agenda, accompanied by problematic privatization processes that also affected the
distribution of power and thus democracy. In short, as much as wars, peace and the
reconstruction process driven by international actors also directly influence the costs and
incentives for political transition (Zürcher et al. 2013).
The following sections analyze the development of democracy in Mozambique taking into
account these four elements and the historical process of state building.
For Lalá and Ostheimer (2004), the peace agreements signed in 1992 between the
government of Mozambique and RENAMO boosted the beginning of the democratic
transition process. Thus, after many years of internecine wars, single-party dominance on the
national political scene and the absence of fundamental democratic freedoms for the full
exercise of citizenship, 'the first multi-party elections held in 1994 not only formally marked
the end of the civil war , as they also constituted the initial step on the tortuous path towards
political stability and the implementation of democratic structures” (Lalá; Ostheimer, 2004:
8).
To understand the process of democratic transition in Mozambique, it is important, even
without resorting to its multiple theories, to explain the contours of the term democracy.
From this perspective, Baquero and Castro (1996), recognizing the polysemic character of the
term, for their understanding, found as a way out the analytical division into two perspectives
that, often, are not exclusive to each other: a perspective that prioritizes its formal aspects,
that is, its singularities, and another that focuses on its essence or content. As for the
perspective that prioritizes formal aspects, the authors believe that the concept of democracy
is limited “[...] basically to its rules, procedures and rites”. And on the other side, that is, the
concept centered on content, democracy is seen as principles to be followed or respected”,
which means that, more than knowing or studying how a real democracy works or trying to
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list minimum requirements that would characterize, it would be important to define or

characterize its substantive limits. In other words, democracy would not be limited to the
existence of certain rules, procedures and rites, but to the quality inherent to it. (Baquero;
Castro, 1996: 14-13).
Currently, in the line of reflection on democratic quality, one of the concerns of political
scientists is to try to explain the malfunctioning of democratic regimes considering the social
dimension, since, although the economy shows reasonable stability and progress in reducing
poverty concomitantly with economic growth have been verified, the creation of fairer social
structures has not been observed. (Baquero, 2008: 382).
The importance of analyzing the quality of democratic processes through the performance of
their main actors is clear: governments and their main institutions, political parties and, in
general, civil society. Thus, in a study on the political evolution of post-independent
Mozambique, Brito et al. (2015:7) found the existence of an authoritarian political tradition
“[...] both under the single-party regime, which lasted from independence in 1975 until 1990,
and in the period that followed the introduction of multipartyism and the end of civil war".

Robert Dahl, in his work "On Democracy", lists ten factors that make democratic regimes
more advantageous and, therefore, desirable than non-democratic regimes. In a summary
made by the author himself, the characteristics of democracy mentioned are.
According to Brito et al. (2015), he presented the following disadvantages of Democracy in
Mozambique.
Slow decision-making: Democratic decision-making processes, including debates,
consultations and elections, can be slow, leading to delays in resolving urgent issues
Majority tyranny: There is a risk of majority tyranny in pure democracies, where the
majority can potentially oppress or marginalize minority groups. Safeguards are needed to
protect minority rights.
Influence of money: In some democracies, the influence of money in politics can lead to
corruption, unequal access to political power, and policies that favor wealthy individuals or
companies.
Short-term focus: Elected officials can prioritize short-term goals and policies that will
attract voters for the next election cycle, rather than tackling long-term challenges.
Low voter turnout: In some democracies, voter turnout is low, which can lead to skewed
representation and a lack of diverse perspectives in the political process.
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Populism and polarization: Democracies can be susceptible to populism, where leaders

appeal to emotions and populations rather than rational analysis. This situation can lead to
political polarization and divisive politics.
Uninformed voting: Some citizens may vote without adequate knowledge or understanding
of the issues and candidates, which can lead to less than positive results.
Instability: Rapid leadership changes through elections can create political instability,
making it difficult to implement consistent policies and long-term planning.
Blockade: In multi-party systems, coalition governments can lead to political stalemate, in
which competing parties are unable to reach consensus on key issues.(Brito et al.2015)
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3. Conclusion
After a long and arduous research it was concluded that all forms of government have their
advantages and disadvantages, and democracy is no exception. It is a system that allows
citizens to actively participate in decision-making processes and ensures the accountability of
elected officials. However, it is not without flaws as it can be slow, influenced by special
interest groups and can neglect the interests of minorities. Understanding the advantages and
disadvantages of democracy is essential for building a strong and functional democratic
society, as are the benefits of critical thinking.
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4. Bibliographic Reference
Bakarr Bah, Abu. 2020. “Introduction: Institutional Design, Peacebuilding and Democracy.”
In Post-Conflict Institutional Design: Peacebuilding and Democracy in Africa, edited by Abu
Bakarr Bah, 1-43. London: Zed Books.
Cheeseman, Nic. 2015. Democracy in Africa. Successes, Failures, and the Struggle for
Political Reform. New Approaches to African History. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2015.
Cooper, Frederick. 2002. Africa since 1940: The Past of the Present. New Approaches to
African History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Manning, Carrie. 2002. The Politics of Peace in Mozambique. Post-conflict Democratization,
1992–2000. Westport, London, Connecticut: Praeger.
Zürcher, Christoph, Carrie Manning, Kristie D. Evenson, Rachel Hayman, Sarah Riese &
Nora Roehner. 2013. Costly Democracy. Peacebuilding and Democratization After War.
Stanford: Stanford University Press.