The impact of privatisations on the Mozambican economy has been a central theme in the analysis of several scholars investigating the transition from revolutionary socialism to a market economy model. Among these researchers, Jessica Falconi, from the Centre for African and Development Studies at the University of Lisbon, stands out for her interdisciplinary approach, in which she examines the intersection between economics, politics and literature, as published on The Conversation website .
Through his research, Falconi argues that Mozambican literature doesn’t just document historical and economic facts, but also interprets and questions the effects of economic reforms, offering a deeper look at the relationship between privatisation and social inequality. ‘Fiction captures the challenges of national construction in a context of profound economic and political transformations,’ explains the researcher, emphasising that Mozambican literature provides an alternative reading of the country’s major structural changes.
The transition from socialism to neoliberalism and the structural challenges
After independence in 1975, Mozambique adopted a socialist economic model, based on the nationalisation of strategic sectors and a central role for the state in the economy. However, as Falconi points out, ‘the civil war, which lasted from 1977 to 1992, left the country in a fragile economic situation, forcing it to adhere to structural adjustment policies imposed by the World Bank and the IMF’. This process accelerated privatisations and resulted in a concentration of wealth, rising unemployment and deepening social inequalities.
Mozambican literature has been fundamental in understanding how these transformations have affected people’s daily lives. In ‘O Comboio de Sal e Açúcar’ (1999), by Licínio Azevedo, the trajectory of the train that transports civilians and soldiers during the war symbolises the population’s struggle for survival in a context of scarcity and instability. For Falconi, this work ‘reflects the period of transition between the socialist economy and the neoliberal model, showing how the population adapted, often precariously, to the new economic realities’.
Mobility as a metaphor for economic inequalities
Another key aspect addressed by Falconi is the way mobility is used in Mozambican literature to represent economic and social inequalities. In the novel ‘Museu da Revolução’ (2022), by João Paulo Borges Coelho, a Toyota Hiace travels the roads of Mozambique, carrying passengers representing different social classes. According to Falconi, ‘the vehicle’s journey is a metaphor for Mozambique’s path in the globalised world, where entry into the capitalist system has been accompanied by profound inequalities and the weakening of public services’.
Falconi emphasises that ‘the means of transport in Mozambican literature are not just scenes, but symbols of social fragmentation’, representing the difficulty of access to opportunities and the exclusion of the majority of the population from the benefits of development.
‘The privatisation of state companies and the opening up to foreign investment brought with it a new entrepreneurial class, often linked to the political elite, while the majority of the population continued to face economic difficulties’
Jessica Falconi
The impact of privatisation on social structure
The privatisation of state companies and the opening up to foreign investment brought with it a new entrepreneurial class, often linked to the political elite, while the majority of the population continued to face economic difficulties. The researcher points to Mia Couto’s ‘Terra Sonâmbula’ (1992) as a clear example of this inequality. In the novel, the characters Tuahir and Muidinga find shelter in a burnt-out bus, a scene that symbolises the failure of the national modernisation project.
For Falconi, ‘Mozambican literature denounces not only the economic consequences of privatisation, but also the social impact, such as unemployment, the erosion of community networks and the marginalisation of the poorest population’. This literary criticism demonstrates that the adoption of the neoliberal model has failed to guarantee equitable development and has instead deepened social disparities.
Literature as resistance and historical memory
Throughout his analysis, Falconi emphasises that Mozambican literature is not just a mirror of reality, but a space of resistance and questioning of economic and political decisions. In Mia Couto’s novel ‘The Other Foot of the Mermaid’ (2006), there is a subtle critique of the inequalities created by neoliberalism, featuring marginalised characters trying to survive in a context of economic injustice.
The researcher argues that ‘Mozambican literature has been an important means of preserving collective memory, allowing future generations to understand the challenges faced by the country in its development trajectory’. This approach, according to Falconi, is essential for understanding the impacts of economic reforms not only from a statistical point of view, but also from a human one.
As the country continues to face challenges in its economic structure, Falconi argues that ‘literary works play a crucial role in the public debate, helping society to reflect on the impacts of economic policies and to question the inequalities generated by the neoliberal system’.
With an interdisciplinary approach, the analysis of Mozambican literature reveals that the effects of privatisation and the transition to a market economy go beyond statistics and government policies, influencing the daily lives of the population and redefining national identity. For Falconi, ‘literature not only registers economic changes, but also translates them into human experiences, allowing a deeper look at the transformations shaping Mozambique in the 21st century’.
Text: Felisberto Ruco
