Abstract: | President Samora Machel of Mozambique died in October 1986, during a phase of intense South African pressure on his country. He was succeeded by Joaquim Chissano as party president and Head of State. The dominant feature of life in Mozambique at that time was the MNR's (Mozambique National Resistance) war against Frelimo and its effects on the entire population and the economy. The government had become increasingly dependent on international goodwill for its survival. The introduction of the Economic Rehabilitation Programme (PRE) in January 1987, following Mozambique's accession to the IMF in 1985, was one of the most important steps taken by the Chissano administration. At the same time projects were established to rehabilitate the country's most important transport corridors (the Maputo, Beira, and Nacala corridors). Theses debated at Frelimo's fifth congress in July 1989 provide insights into the preoccupations of party leadership in that period. They dealt amongst others with the party itself, national unity, social organizations, and national defence and security. The IMF/PRE strategy adopted by Frelimo has staved off total economic collapse but the full costs in social terms, and in terms of Frelimo's socialist project, have yet to be assessed. The indications are that the period under review marks an important watershed. Ref. |