Opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane has submitted a landmark bill to Mozambique’s parliament seeking to lower the age of majority from 21 to 18, aligning the country’s legal framework with regional and global norms.
The proposal, delivered Tuesday to Assembly of the Republic chairperson Margarida Talapa, argues that Mozambique’s current threshold is outdated and inconsistent with the Southern African Development Community where most member states recognise 18 as the age of legal adulthood.
Mondlane said the reform reflects societal evolution, noting that Mozambican youth already assume adult responsibilities at 18 – including employment, marriage, voting and military service.
“It makes no sense for it (Mozambique) to be out of step with the community of nations and the globalisation of commercial transactions in goods, especially real estate,” he said, citing the country’s youthful demographic, with nearly 80 percent of the population under 35.
The bill, which Mondlane says carries no budgetary impact, aims to empower 18-year-olds to engage in legal contracts and business transactions currently restricted to those 21 and older.
He noted that the initiative responds to growing concerns from young citizens about barriers to economic participation.
JN/APA