Venâncio

Mozambique is certainly the most politically free of the three countries outside of the UK where I’ve formally lived. People openly state their views, showing contempt for leading figures and not being too bothered about it.

Tanzania and Cambodia are easily beaten on this issue. Stickers of figures like these of Venâncio Mondlane, currently in a very tense standoff with the ruling party, would be unthinkable in those other two more oppressive countries where there is no effective opposition and very real risk of persecution. I wouldn’t do it flamboyantly as a foreigner, and not to be tried at home, but openly criticising the government here does not come with fear or repercussions.

Despite its serious current electoral issues, in terms of freedom of speech this marks Mozambique apart from some authoritarian dictatorships such as North Korea, Rwanda, Myanmar, the USA.