Between pockets of efficiency and elite capture in Mozambique

This DIIS Working Paper synthesises the main findings from four case studies of productive sectors in Mozambique, addressing the research questions below.

1)Which productive sector initiatives did the Mozambican government support?
2)Why were they supported?
3)How were they supported?
4)What were the outcomes?

Four productive initiatives are analysed - sugar rehabilitation, semi-industrial fisheries, poultry, and cashew. The paper argues that they are supported when they tap into the ruling party coalition's priorities concerning political survival, whether this means electoral victory, coalition maintenance, state expansion or reforms of the economy and political domain in such a way that regime survival is ensured.

We also suggest that ideological projects concerning state unity and the transformation of society are important, just as a certain historical determination is at stake as sectors with a track record for the delivery of political goals are supported. In other words, a particular productive sector's relationship to the ruling coalition matters.

But ruling coalition and government support alone cannot explain why some sectors are supported and others not. We suggest that, besides political support, bureaucratic support is crucial, as the bureaucracy is needed to act as both an embedded and mediating bureaucracy, something which can often only be found in certain 'pockets of efficiency'.

Finally we argue that industry or entrepreneurial holding power is important for understanding the support and success of productive sector initiatives.