Shifting Power Dynamics? The Role of Civil Society Organizations in the Policymaking for Mozambique’s Extractive Sector

Abstract

In 2012 the Mozambican government announced the revision of the mining and petroleum laws in consultation with civil society organizations (CSOs). This followed the discovery of world class gas reserves in the Rovuma Basin, and growing demands for transparency, fair sharing of revenues and protection of national interests, from all quadrants. Given this, what was the role played by CSOs? Did they influence the process at all, or did the consultation serve as a tool to strengthen the regime’s interests and legitimacy? Building on Gramsci and African scholarship that conceptualizes the state and civil society as relational social forces that co-influence each other through shifting power balances, the study reveals that CSOs influenced the development of the mining and petroleum laws by performing four essential roles: expertise, agenda-setting, representative and monitoring. The government accommodated some of CSOs demands, even though the consultation process was not fully open. The findings build on a mix of interviews with members of CSOs and other qualitative sources (laws, news and reports) and underline the need to analyse state and civil society beyond dichotomous and homogenizing categories. They also contribute to a flourishing literature on the role of civil society in competitive authoritarian regimes.

Keywords:

• Mozambique
• civil society organizations
• roles
• government
• extractive sector
• competitive authoritarianism

Acknowledgements

The authors are extremely grateful to the journal editors, and two anonymous reviewers for the careful reading and the insightful comments. Thanks are also owed to the CSOs members that shared their views with us.

Notes

1 Público, ‘Presidente moçambicano diz que país entrou numa ‘etapa determinante’ para produção de gás’, 20 August 2014: https://www.publico.pt/2014/08/20/economia/noticia/presidente-mocambicano-diz-que-pais-entrou-numa-etapa-determinante-para-producao-de-gas-1667059.

2 Gramsci’s broad definition of the state includes the ‘political society’ which comprises the set of institutions we conventionally associate with the state (army, police, courts), and the ‘civil society’.

3 Plataforma da Sociedade Civil sobre Recursos Naturais e Indústria Extractiva.

4 See public statement at WWF, ‘Posicionamento Sobre questões relativas à Indústria Extractiva em Moçambique’ https://www.wwf.org.mz/?5000/Posicionamento-Sobre-questoes-relativas-a-Industria-Extractiva-em-Mocambique (accessed on 30 March 2021).

5 RFI, ‘Nova lei reserva exploração mineira em Moçambique’, 25 July 2014: https://www.rfi.fr/pt/africa/20140725-mocambique-aprova-nova-lei-de-minas.

6 Público, ‘Esperança Bias: A bacia do Rovuma ainda tem muito para dar’, 21 September 2014: https://www.publico.pt/2014/09/21/mundo/entrevista/esperanca-bias-a-bacia-do-rovuma-ainda-tem-muito-para-dar-1670042 (accessed on 30 March 2021).

7 Jornal de Notícias, ‘Produção de gás e petróleo: AR estabelece quota para consumo interno’, 11 August 2014 http://www.jornalnoticias.co.mz/index.php/politica/20980-producao-de-gas-e-petroleo-ar-estabelece-quota-para-consumo-interno.html (accessed on 30 March 2021).

8 RFI, ‘Nova lei reserva exploração mineira em Moçambique’, 25 July 2014: https://www.rfi.fr/pt/africa/20140725-mocambique-aprova-nova-lei-de-minas; Jornal de Notícias, ‘Produção de gás e petróleo: AR estabelece quota para consumo interno’, 11 August 2014 http://www.jornalnoticias.co.mz/index.php/politica/20980-producao-de-gas-e-petroleo-ar-estabelece-quota-para-consumo-interno.html (accessed on 30 March 2021).

9 Jornal a Verdade, Governo revê lei do petróleo sem consulta pública, 1 April 2013: https://verdade.co.mz/governo-reve-lei-do-petroleo-sem-consulta-publica/; DW, ‘Lei de petróleo não agrada sociedade civil em Moçambique’, 4 April 2013: https://www.dw.com/pt-002/lei-de-petr%C3%B3leo-n%C3%A3o-agrada-sociedade-civil-em-mo%C3%A7ambique/a-16719222; Voa, Centro de Integridade Pública acusa Governo de Moçambique de negociar à porta fechada, 17 March 2014: https://www.voaportugues.com/a/centro-de-integridade-p%C3%BAblica-acusa-governo-de-mo%C3%A7ambique-de-negociar-%C3%A0-porta-fechada/1873031.html; DW, ‘Analistas apontam lacuna em Lei do Petróleo em Moçambique’, 18 March 2014: https://www.dw.com/pt-002/analistas-apontam-lacuna-em-lei-do-petr%C3%B3leo-em-mo%C3%A7ambique/a-17503603; DW, ‘CIP contesta “tratamento especial” para multinacionais petrolíferas em Moçambique’, 11 August 2014: https://www.dw.com/pt-002/cip-contesta-tratamento-especial-para-multinacionais-petrol%C3%ADferas-em-mo%C3%A7ambique/a-17846561.

Additional information

Funding

This work has been financed by the FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology under the framework UIDB/03122/2020.

Notes on contributors

Edalina Rodrigues Sanches

Edalina Rodrigues Sanches is Assistant Professor in African Studies at the Department of Political Science and Public Policy, and Researcher at the Centre for International Studies, ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon.

Nádia Margarida Armando Júlio

Nádia Margarida Armando Júlio is PhD Candidate in African Studies at the Department of Political Science and Public Policy, ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon.