allAfrica.com: Mozambique: Resurgent Maputo (Page 1 of 1)

MOZAMBIQUE'S OCEAN-fronted capital, Maputo, is emerging as a major tourist destination in the Southern Africa region after picking itself up from the civil war 16 years ago.

The cultural and racial mix, which combines African and Portuguese, among others, makes Maputo a charming destination.

Located on the west of Maputo Bay, at the mouth of the Tembe River, Maputo is a melting pot of several cultures.

The Bantu and Portuguese cultures are dominant, but the influence of Arab, Indian and Chinese cultures is also felt. The cuisine is vibrant, mainly due to the Portuguese and Muslim heritage, with plenty of seafood.

The warm tropical climate blends well with the Maputo culture of selling beer in small kiosks that dot the ocean front.

Maputo is a well planned city with square blocks and wide avenues, bearing Portuguese architecture of the 1970s. Violent crime is negligible and the street boys menace that is common in most African cities is hardly noticeable.

Dilapidated colonial buildings co-exist side by side with modern high-rise buildings, a phenomenon that still affords Maputo its unique identity.

New buildings are being erected for the rising middle class, rather than existing buildings being renovated, and many city services are still precarious.

Formerly known as Lourenço Marques, Maputo city's wide avenues are lined with red acacia and lilac jacaranda flowering trees.

The city offers the tourist innumerable historical, cultural and scenic spots.

Restaurants and bars are doing booming business and nightlife is one of the most vibrant in African cities.

Life is relatively cheap compared with Nairobi, with a 550ml beer bottle going for only 25 metricals, an equivalent of $1.

With the romanticism with which the continent held the neighbouring South Africa following the fall of apartheid having faded away due to increased crime and recent xenophobic violence, Maputo is becoming an alternative for those who prefer quiet and relatively affordable tours.

Indeed, many South Africans are trooping to Maputo either for visits or to buy property for settlement in a bid to escape from the crime-prone South African cities.

Thus, the neighbouring economic giant has a lot of influence on Maputo, with a number of South African retail chains setting up shop in Maputo.

But the recent xenophobic attacks on Mozambican citizens in South Africa is casting doubt on whether the migration to Mozambique will continue.

Still, Maputo's main street, Avenida 25 de Setembro - which is popular with tourists is bustling with activity, ranging from the all season city market to restaurants and foreign embassies.

THE CITY MARKET IS A MUST visit for tourists owing to its rich and affordable handicraft antiques and traditional dishes.

An important cultural and artists' centre in Maputo is the Associação Núcleo de Arte, which has been central to the growth of cultural life for decades.

Hundreds of painters, sculptors and ceramists, who belong to the association regularly hold exhibitions, which has become a hit with visitors.

As a port on the Indian Ocean, Maputo's economy is centred around the harbour. Coal, cotton, sugar, chromite, sisal, copra and hardwood are the chief exports.

The city manufactures cement, pottery, furniture, shoes and rubber. There is also a large aluminium smelting plant - Mozal.

Maputo, which is within Maputo Province but with its own administration, is also one of the most important rail termini in Southern Africa, serving the mines of Johannesburg and southern Zimbabwe. Its population is estimated to be slightly over a million.

The city was founded in 1876 by Portuguese trader Lourenço Marques, the first European to explore the area.

In 1895, a railroad to Pretoria, South Africa, was built.

During the Second Boer War from 1899-1902, Winston Churchill, after being captured by the Boers, made a daring escape to Lourenço Marques by slipping past the sentries.

After independence in 1975, the city's name was changed to Maputo. The name reputedly has its origin in an old, brave local leader, Maputa, who once ruled over the region.

Mozambigue got independence after 470 years of Portuguese rule. Portugal colonised it in 1505 after initial exploratory tours by Vasco da Gama in 1498.

The Portuguese left in large numbers at the end of the independence war in 1975, and the resultant lack of skills and capital, in the context of a fierce civil war and government mismanagement, contributed to its state of dereliction in the years following the declaration of peace.

President Armando Guebuza, who took over from former president Chissano in 2004 in a smooth transition, was a leading light in the fight for independence led by the late Samora Machel and Chissano.

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