Mozambique will become the latest country to receive assistance from the Commonwealth Secretariat to prepare a claim for additional areas of seabed.

The use of mid-level health workers rather than doctors to prescribe antiretroviral treatment (ART), a strategy called task-shifting, has enabled Mozambique to triple the number of facilities providing medication within six months, according to a new study.

The Mozambican and Dutch governments signed an agreement in Maputo on Monday under which a Dutch grant of 14 million euros (about 20.7 million US dollars) will be used to strengthen reforms under way in Mozambican higher education.

The latest results from the provisional count of the results sheets from Wednesday's general election, undertaken by the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE), with almost 90 per cent of polling stations are as follows. Candidates and parties are listed in the order they appear on the ballot paper, and AIM has omitted, in the parliamentary results, the minor parties who do not have enough votes to secure any seats in the future parliament.

Members and supporters of Mozambique's third largest political party, the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), on Friday vandalized the offices of their own party in the western city of Tete, according to a report in Monday's issue of the newsheet "Canal de Mocambique".

Fernando Mbararano, the political delegate of the former rebel movement Renamo in the central Mozambican province of Sofala, has threatened that Renamo will seize control of the province, following its defeat in Wednesday's general election.

As of Monday morning, the Election Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE), the electoral branch of the Mozambican civil service, had processed almost 90 per cent of the polling station results sheets from Wednesday's general elections.

An increasing number of Mozambican districts and cities have now declared full results from Wednesday's general election, confirming the overwhelming victory of the ruling Frelimo Party and its presidential candidate, the incumbent head of state, Armando Guebuza.

The Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) has accused staff at one polling station in the central city of Beira of deliberately invalidating ballot papers in Wednesday's general election, thus depriving the MDM presidential candidate and mayor of Beira, Daviz Simango, of over 100 votes.

With almost three quarters of polling station results sheets processed by the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE), the electoral branch of the Mozambican civil service, the shape of things to come following Wednesday's general election is very clear - Armando Guebuza has been re-elected president with around 75 per cent of the vote, and the ruling Frelimo Party will have between 75 and 80 per cent of the seats in the new parliament.

The Election Observer Mission from the SADC (Southern African Development Community) Parliamentary Forum on Saturday issued an interim statement concluding that the Mozambican general elections held on Wednesday "were a true reflection of the will of the people of Mozambique".

Without waiting for the final results to be announced, a prominent member of Mozambique's main opposition party, Renamo, has demanded that Wednesday's general elections be annulled.

For Mozambique's ruling Frelimo Party, perhaps the sweetest moment in its landslide victory in Wednesday's general election came with the announcement of the results from the district of Maringue, in the central province of Sofala.

With 52 per cent of polling stations now processed in the provisional count from Wednesday's general elections, all the trends seen early on in Radio Mozambique's broadcasts of results from polling station sheets are confirmed.

A late strike from Antonio Hagi helped Mozambique beat South Africa in the COSAFA Senior Challenge third place match play off at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo yesterday.

The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defense and Security is to hold a Heads of State summit of to iron out sticking points in Zimbabwe's Global Political Agreement (GPA).

EISA, the Electoral Institute for Southern Africa, added to the criticism of the National Elections Commission (CNE) in a statement issued yesterday. The problem started with the selection of civil society CNE members, it said.

Below is a statement by observers aligned with The Commonwealth on the recent Mozambique elections.

With over a third of polling station results sheets now processed, the provisional count from Wednesday's general election, undertaken by the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE), the electoral branch of the Mozambican civil service, shows that the incumbent President, Armando Guebuza, has an unassailable lead over his two opponents, Afonso Dhlakama, leader of the former rebel movement Renamo, and Daviz Simango, mayor of Beira, and leader of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM).

The European Union Election Observation Mission to Mozambique has praised the Mozambican general election held on Wednesday for its efficient organisation, but has warned of "transparency shortcomings" in the electoral process as a whole.