President Daniel Chapo on Wednesday, 14 October, dismissed Samaria Tovela as Minister of Education and Culture and appointed Edson Macuácua as her successor. The presidency did not give reasons for the change.

Macuácua leaves his position as Secretary of State for Science and Higher Education, a role that will now be taken over by Isaú Joaquim Menezes. The changes were formalised through presidential decrees issued to the press.

The reshuffle comes against a backdrop of teacher grievances over delayed payments, placement within the Single Salary Table (TSU), career progression, and working conditions. The regularisation of overtime pay has been one of the teaching profession’s central demands.

On the same day she was dismissed, Samaria Tovela addressed teacher indebtedness on the sidelines of the 2nd Coordinating Council of the Ministry of Education and Culture, held at Ponta do Ouro in Maputo province.

The outgoing minister argued that teachers’ financial difficulties stem not only from salaries but also from debt burdens and the need for better income management. She noted that some teachers are left with as little as 200 meticais in disposable income after loan repayment deductions.

Tovela advocated for the inclusion of financial management skills in teacher training to prevent educators from taking on commitments beyond their repayment capacity. She nonetheless acknowledged that the cost of living is high and that salaries continue to fall short of the profession’s expectations.

No connection was announced between those remarks and the presidential decision to replace her.

During her address, Tovela also highlighted the need to improve the quality of teaching, arguing that school achievement indicators must reflect genuine learning outcomes — specifically, students’ ability to read, write, and carry out basic mathematical operations.

Edson Macuácua, a jurist and former member of the Assembly of the Republic, takes over a sector facing deep challenges in teacher training and management, school infrastructure, and learning quality.