As Africa marks African Anti-Corruption Day today, 11 July, under the theme “Promoting Human Dignity in the Fight Against Corruption”, a prominent Mozambican researcher has criticised the government for failing to meet key commitments outlined by the African Union (AU).
Baltazar Fael, a researcher at the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP), argues that despite formal commitments, Mozambique has yet to implement essential protections for whistleblowers or to ensure that victims of corruption receive restitution.
According to the AU, protecting human dignity in the fight against corruption means shielding whistleblowers from retaliation, empowering citizens to speak out without fear, and ensuring that justice serves both accountability and reparation.
Mozambique, says Fael, is falling short on both fronts.
“Thirteen years after the whistleblower protection law was approved, the legal framework still hasn’t been implemented. In practical terms, the government has failed to create the conditions necessary for effective whistleblower protection,” he stated.
Another major concern raised by the AU for this year’s commemoration is the restoration or compensation of victims of corruption-related crimes. Mozambique’s legal framework on asset recovery, however, does not provide for compensation of victims through recovered assets.
Instead, the law stipulates that 70% of recovered assets go to the state, while the remaining 30% is divided equally between the Office for Asset Recovery and the Office for Asset Management.
Fael argues this approach overlooks the rights and needs of those directly harmed by corruption.
In this context, the AU stresses that the African Anti-Corruption Day should serve as a reminder that the fight against corruption is not merely a legal or institutional process. It is a human-centred imperative requiring empathy, justice, and respect for the dignity and rights of all.
Fael also pointed to an apparent contradiction in government rhetoric. While President Daniel Chapo recently acknowledged that “obstacles persist which threaten the foundations of our development — one of the biggest being corruption”, there has been little concrete progress in delivering justice for those affected by corrupt practices.
As such, the AU’s 2025 theme is a direct invitation for Mozambique’s government to seriously reflect on how it respects human dignity in the fight against corruption, and to translate official commitments into tangible action for the benefit of citizens.
