December 2023: Since graduating from my postgraduate education at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, I wondered what next, I would do to lead development initiatives and impact many people. Although this was a focus, I was still tied to my personal ego – getting a good paying cheque (not bad at all). If someone were to ask where I came from, it would take too much time for them to understand the location of the by then, unknown city whose municipality was buying rats from citizens. People of my city saw their mayor using their tax, buying rats back from them instead of providing them with a cleaner environment where rats could find no room. People of my city experienced high infant mortality rates due to poor sanitation conditions. People of my city had to live in neighborhoods where an ambulance could not reach their home in case of any emergency. This is just to name a few of the conditions that existed. I looked back and decided that I wanted to be a light to them. As a single grain of salt, I was dropped in the municipal election race in 2011 and was elected Mayor of the city. From that moment until now, I have introduced so many changes among which are: • Organizing a waste management system • Opening roads to connect neighborhoods; • Protecting the city’s infrastructure and marine life by reforesting the mangroves that were being devastated; • Enhancing partnerships with different national and international organizations (creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive and invest in my city). My city has now been placed on international platforms and is known by those who sit on the table of Global Compact of Mayors, Milan Food Pact Policy (MFPP), International Council on Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). Our city has attended the COP18, COP…. you name it! Guess what, our people whose bicycles were never welcomed in the city have space in the main streets of the city and they no longer fight with vehicles. Through this inclusive initiative, Quelimane Municipality has won the Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure (BICI). Quelimane’s BICI project revolves around the creation of an extensive 5km cycling corridor, capitalizing on the city’s substantial demand for cycling. The proposal includes the establishment of bicycle taxi facilities, an innovative approach to addressing a vital transportation mode within the city. By setting new benchmarks for similar cities in the region, Quelimane aspires to become a model for smaller and rural African cities, showcasing the potential for sustainable cycling initiatives. The citizens are no longer interested in going back to selling rats and have demonstrated this in the 2023 municipal elections by voting Renamo and Manuel de Araujo back to office on 11 October 2023. This decision was not welcomed by those who enjoyed buying rats who are standing strong and still to deny peoples’ will. But the Constitutional Council has now confirmed the elections results. Essays by: Mayor of Dover | Mayor of Graz | Bürgermeisterin von Graz | Mayor of Greifswald |Oberbürgermeister von Greifswald | Mayor of Oliveri | Sindaco di Oliveri | Mayor of Quelimane | Mayor of Utrecht | Burgemeester van Utrecht | For your information: The World Mayor Project, organised by the philanthropic City Mayors Foundation since 2004, has no connection with any city or organisation and is run on strictly non-commercial lines. Sponsorships, advertising, subscriptions, donations or any other kind of revenue are NOT sought and will be rejected, if offered. Privacy: All personal information you provide us with will be treated in strict confidence. Your email addresses will NOT be passed on to any third parties. Also, we do NOT collect data by cookies or other hidden means. Please contact us if you have any further questions. Please insert 'World Mayor 2023' in the subject line of any email. © Copyright: All content of the City Mayors and World Mayor websites is protected by worldwide copyright. Please contact us if you wish to use any material from the City Mayors, World Mayor or Women Mayors websites. |
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