The sons of the governor of Zambezia province, Pio Matos, often accused of snapping up public tenders only to fail to execute them, are now expanding the family business into the mining sector.

According to a publication in the weekly Evidence This week, Marla Matos, one of Pio Matos' five children, led the Mocubela Garimpeiros Cooperative for a new project in Aliua, in a scenario in which the intimidating presence of the police was notorious, despite the fact that the district administrator, Sertório Fernando, told Pio Matos that the "population received the project with all euphoria", which he called a public consultation for the exploitation of marine waters, morganite, rose quartz, spodumene and lepidolite and other minerals. This is not the first time that the governor's sons have been identified as front men to make deals possible, especially in public tenders. One of the most visible faces is Augusto Matos.

In Zambézia province, many businesspeople are betting on the economic activity of artisanal mining, and the Matos family is no exception. Some businesspeople who spoke to Evidências on condition of anonymity revealed that the sons of the Governor of that province in the center of the country are the ones who "captured" this mining activity.

Pio Matos has five children. However, only three of them, Augusto Matos, Marla Matos and Amaril Matos, have made a name for themselves in the business world. With the exception of Augusto Matos, who had a notorious rise in the business world before his father ascended to the position of governor, there are those whose growth in the business world began after their father reached the highest point in the province.

In addition to the mines in their possession, the descendants of the governor of Zambézia are accused of invading other people's concessions, for which they have the exclusive protection of the Mozambique Republic Police (PRM).

Recently, Marla Matos led the Mucubela Garimpeiros Cooperative, which accompanied Chinese businessmen to a public consultation for the exploitation of aquamarine, morganite, rose quartz, spodumene and lepidolite.

In his report on the event, which was intended to be shared with the governor of Zambézia, the Administrator of Mocubela, Sertório Fernando, says that the population received the project with euphoria, signaling that there is already a green light for the start-up of the project led by the chief's daughter, in partnership with the Chinese.

But sources guarantee that it's not just in gold mining, where there is a tendency to hunt for other people's mines, which has been captured by the sons of the governor of Zambézia, since they are in all businesses, especially those dedicated to supplying goods and services to the state.

This situation is causing great concern among local businesses, who feel more and more suffocated every year when they see the same companies winning public tenders.

In fact, the complainants allege that Pio Matos is the one who orders the directors to give priority to companies with links to his sons in public tenders in Zambezia province.

According to Evidências, for example, Pio Matos' daughter, Marla Matos, won a public tender in 2021, valued at 15 million meticais, to supply a boat, but the color of that boat has yet to be seen.

"We've had governors from outside, but we've never felt obliged to associate ourselves with the bosses' children in order to do business with the state, but now that we have our own, it's all about the family," complained a local businessman.

Faced with the accusations he has been the target of, the governor of Zambézia province preferred to remain silent, in phone calls and WhatsApp messages made by Evidências.

Having missed the chance to hear Pio Matos' version, we tried at all costs to obtain the testimony of Augusto Matos, one of the Governor's sons, but he wouldn't answer our calls.

It should be noted that Vaniever,S.A is one of the companies owned by the Matos family, and the Board of Directors is made up of Marla Albertina da Silva Augusto Matos (Managing Director), Pio Augusto da Silva Matos (Executive Director), Amarildo Rafael da Silva Matos (Director), Augusto Pio da Silva Matos (Director) and Melca Rafaela da Silva Matos (Director).