The Mozambican president stated on Thursday that the country has gone a year without any reported kidnappings [of business owners], noting that this milestone bolsters investor confidence and demonstrates the progress made by the authorities in combating organised crime.
“One of the key things investors want is security. That is why we have promised, and will continue to work towards, making Mozambique a safe country, free from crimes such as kidnapping; yesterday [Wednesday] marked one year without a single reported kidnapping [of business owners], the first time in 15 years,” said Daniel Chapo at the opening of the Tete International Investment Conference, where he highlighted security as one of the key factors in attracting domestic and foreign capital.
The last case of a businessperson being kidnapped in Mozambique took place in central Maputo on 7 October 2025, when hooded and armed men abducted a Portuguese businessman in his 70s, who was released months later.
According to the Head of State, who took office in January 2025, the absence of new kidnapping cases in Mozambique over the past year sends a clear signal to businesspeople and investors that security conditions in the country are improving.
“We will continue to work. This milestone sends a clear signal that we want a safe country, a country where people can invest without feeling threatened, where their lives are safe, and the lives of their families, colleagues, friends and relatives are safe,” he added.
He also gave assurances that the government would continue to combat organised crime and corruption – which he identified as some of the main obstacles to the business environment – as well as to curb the “red tape” in public services.
“We will continue to work to combat kidnapping, combat corruption, combat organised crime, and combat all those evils that affect the business environment in Mozambique, so that our economy – which is already showing signs of growth – continues to grow, and our private sector, whose confidence in the country’s future grows every day, can invest freely,” said Chapo.
In April, when he marked six months without any reported kidnappings, Chapo had already argued that the reduction in this type of crime was helping to restore the confidence of domestic and foreign investors, recalling that businesspeople had for years been the main targets of kidnappers.
At the time, the Head of State revealed that the Portuguese businessman released on 10 March was the last hostage still being held captive in the country, in a case that marked the end of the series of kidnappings then known to the authorities.
Kidnappings for ransom became a recurring phenomenon in Mozambique from 2010 onwards, targeting mainly businesspeople, their family members and company managers. According to figures previously released by business associations, around 150 businesspeople fell victim to these crimes over 12 years.
Figures released in 2024 by the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA) also indicated that around a hundred investors had left the country for fear of the insecurity associated with the kidnappings.
According to the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC), around 300 people involved in kidnapping cases have been arrested since the first recorded instances of this phenomenon in the country.
Source: Lusa