Paulo Zucula

Born in 1955, Zucula studied agronomy at the Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo, where he completed a B.Sc. degree. He pursued graduate studies at the University of Minnesota, receiving a M.Sc. degree.^[1]

From 1990 to 1992, Zucula served as Deputy Minister of Agriculture for President Joaquim Chissano.^[1][2] Thereafter, from 1993 to 1995, he was a National Programme Manager for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.^[1] In 2001, he became coordinator of the Regional Spatial Development Initiative of the Development Bank of Southern Africa.^[1] From 2004 to 2005, he held the post of Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation for Community Development (Portuguese: Fundação Para o Desenvolvimento Comunitário).^[1]

Zucula re-entered public service in December 2006, becoming director of the National Disasters Management Institute (Portuguese: Instituto Nacional de Gestão de Calamidades, INGC), Mozambique's disaster management agency.^[1][2] He was "widely praised" for his handling of the 2007 Mozambican flood and for his leadership of the INGC,^[3] with one "senior [United Nations] official" describing him as "the most effective director in this position that I have come across in 25 years of disaster management anywhere in the world".^[4] He was appointed Minister of Transport and Communication by Armando Guebuza on March 11, 2008,^[5][6] succeeding Antonio Munguambe. Zucula's appointment came as part of a cabinet reshuffle that also involved the replacement of foreign minister Alcinda Abreu and justice minister Esperança Machavela.^[7]