5418 ISS Monograph 174.indd - Institute for Security Studies

Edited by Cheryl Hendricks and Takawira Musavengana
oversight mechanisms are not sufficiently assertive, this creates space for implementation
problems, lack of accountability and general governance problems
and corruption. Oversight structures report to the Ministry of Justice, under
which SNAPRI falls.
The focus of reform should be placed on the implementation of corrective
measures applicable to prison officials. Reported cases of maltreatment
of prisoners and human rights violations have not been properly addressed.
Appropriate follow-up on such cases seldom culminates in the punishment of
officers who are in breach of the rules and regulations of the prison system.
Human rights training for SNAPRI staff and equipping the legislature with
knowledge of international standards will help to improve monitoring and accountability
in the prison system. Actions also need to focus on providing technical
assistance to the legislature and bodies such as the Unidade Técnica de
Reforma Legal (UTREL), which is currently responsible for undertaking reform
in the public sector.
ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY
Mozambique until the last decade did not have a vibrant civil society, compared
with its neighbours, particularly Zimbabwe and South Africa. 314
Since independence and after the civil war, civil society in Mozambique has
largely been preoccupied with reconstruction, poverty and development. 315 There
are thus more development-oriented NGOs, fewer human rights-centred organisations,
and far fewer security-oriented NGOs.
The General Peace Agreement of 4 October 1992 was an opportunity for civil
society participation in SSG. The agreement included a variety of aspects to do
with security such as integration of the demobilised and other fragile groups
into society; regulation of the activities of the military; economic and social
reintegration of demobilised soldiers; and professionalisation of the police and
state intelligence sector. 316
Through programmes such as the Tools for Arms (TAE) project and ‘Arms for
Hoes’ civil society played a critical role in the disarmament of ex-belligerents and
consequent re-integration. Ex-belligerents were encouraged to voluntarily surrender
their weapons in exchange for entrepreneurship training and development
assistance to enable them to engage in small-scale economic activities. Tools for
Arms was a complementary project to the government-led Operation Rachel. 317
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