clxxiii. Before Mozambique’s independence from Portugal, Beira was known to be one of the best-equipped seaports in all East Africa. It was also known for tourism, fishing and trade. The city prospered as a cosmopolitan port with different ethnic communities, with Portuguese, Indian, Chinese and indigenous Africans employed in administration, commerce and industry. clxxiv. Due to a combination of several factors, the city is currently largely in ruins and the chaotic neglect is aptly depicted by its shabby form. Formerly a seaside resort town, the superb hotels and sweeping boulevards of grand houses have been reduced to weed-strewn shells with black-eyed windows. clxxv. Following its independence from Portugal in 1975, scores of Portuguese nationals left the city. The city was also at the epicentre of the civil war that ravaged Mozambique from 1977 to 1992, and its infrastructure was severely damaged. The Umtali-Beira railway line was also bombed repeatedly, first by Rhodesian guerrillas prior to Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, and then by the Mozambique National Resistance Movement (MNRM) in the early 1980s. At one stage the city’s famous Grande Hotel was occupied by around 1 000 homeless people, and by the end of the civil war it was in near ruins. clxxvi. I n 2000, Beira and the surrounding region were destroyed by floods, leaving millions homeless and wreaking havoc with the local economy. As an erstwhile core constituency of RENAMO and its political headquarters, the city’s fortune has also been taken hostage by intense politicking. clxxvii. A slow rejuvenation of the city is currently under way, with assistance from donors, especially in rehabilitating the port. In view of its historical and economic significance, as well as environmental challenges, the government needs to channel considerable attention towards rebuilding the city. 6. BEST PRACTICES clxxviii. Listed below are Mozambique’s five best practices that the APR Panel deems to be worthy of emulation by other African countries. They are highlighted below for peer learning. 6.1 Democracy and Political Governance • The GPA and the peace process: Despite some challenges, Mozambique’s road to peace after several years of civil war is a model of social capitalism at work in the reconciliation of the warring factions of a country. The uniqueness of the GPA goes beyond the laying down of arms by the combatants. It enunciates principles and values that should be the foundation of multiparty democracy going forward. These have proved to be a valuable frame work for anchoring political activities to date. Some of the features of Mo- 37