Mozambique: President Armando Guebuza rejects luxury vehicle “gift” from big Business

Mozambican President Armando Guebuza PHOTO/Aly Ramji /Mediapix

Mozambique’s president Armando Guebuza early last week rejected a luxury Mercedes-Benz given to him by a business association, insisting that the gift was a violation of the country’s public probity laws.

Following public outrage at news that Guebuza had received the keys to a US$100,000 luxury sedan at a gala dinner last week, his office told reporters the car had been returned.

“After having accepted the gift on the occasion, the president asked for the legality of the act to be verified,” an official statement said. After being informed he could run afoul of the law, Guebuza “declined it and gave the car back”.

The Confederation of Business Associations said that by gifting Guebuza the luxury vehicle wrapped in a red ribbon it had meant only to “give him something to remember us by”.

Guebuza, 71, is set to step down after presidential and legislative elections in October, having served two terms allowed by the country’s constitution.

He came to power in 2004 vowing to combat poverty. Under his watch, Mozambique has become one of the fastest growing economies on the African continent – registering growth in all sectors, especially in the financial and mining sectors. The country registered numbers of 7.5 percent growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2014.