cxxxiv. Commendably, though, this apparent setback to political development in the country is offset by interesting developments within society. In fact, both the Constitutional Council and the Administrative Tribunal (National Audit Office) have recently ruled against decisions that seemed to be party-politically motivated.2 Given the widespread belief that the country is in the tight grip of FRELIMO, this obvious show of resistance from two institutions that have the task of safeguarding and protecting the rule of law is not only encouraging, but also an indication that Mozambican society may be moving in a direction that renders democracy less dependent on individual goodwill. 4.9 Crime, Safety and Security cxxxv. Crime is a considerable impediment to development. In most African countries, high rates of crime and violence are undermining growth, threatening human welfare and impeding social development. In the corporate sector, crime is a major hindrance to investment. In many countries, as crime increases, access to financing declines; spending on formal and informal security measures increases; and worker productivity declines. cxxxvi. In a country with a still-fledgling independent media and a lack of reliable crime statistics, it is difficult to pinpoint just how bad the crime situation has become. Anecdotal evidence indicates, however, that street crimes, including mugging, purse snatching and pick-pocketing are common, both in Maputo and in secondary cities. Carjacking is on the increase. cxxxvii. Official statistics indicate that the levels of crime in Mozambique remain relatively low in comparison with other southern African countries. Only one out of every 100 crimes recorded in the SADC region occurred in Mozambique. There was a slight drop in the number of recorded crimes in Mozambique in 2008, compared with the previous year, but there was an increase in crimes committed with firearms. The Attorney-General, in his recent annual report presented to the country’s Parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, indicated that the total number of crimes recorded fell from 41 902 in 2007 to 40 312 in 2008, a decline of 3.8 per cent. By comparison, the number of crimes in which firearms were used rose from 703 to 740. cxxxviii. Maputo, the capital of the country, is also the crime headquarters. In 2008, 36 per cent of all crimes were committed in Maputo city and Maputo province, which represents a drop of 6 per cent since 2007. However, 635 of the of2 The newly created Civil Service Higher Authority had imposed on all state institutions the use of a FRELIMO party slogan, which the Constitutional Council found unconstitutional and asked to be withdrawn. Similarly, the Administrative Tribunal made a devastating review of public accounts, pointing to criminal irregularities and, most importantly, found a decision by the Eduardo Mondlane University, which is public, to ask academics who joined the opposition RENAMO party to step down from their senior positions within the university’s administrative structure, illegal and ruled that they should be reinstated. 28 A P R M COU N T RY R EV IEW R EP ORT NO. 11