Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ZAMBEZI DONAS
Just as much a part of Quelimane history as the Bons Sinais River is the old Portuguese
prazo
system. As the Por-
tuguese saw things,
prazos
were land-holdings granted to private individuals by the Portuguese government in an
attempt to solidify control over the Mozambican hinterlands. The
prazeiro
(
prazo
holder) had to be a female Por-
tuguese citizen who would then pass the
prazo
on to her female offspring when they married a white Portuguese.
All sorts of rules and duties applied: the
prazeiro
was allowed to employ Africans, to raise a private army (gener-
ally made up of slaves) and to trade, and was responsible for maintaining law and order within the
prazo
area.
While some
prazos
were small, others were hundreds of square kilometres in extent. At the height of the sys-
tem, the area encompassed by
prazos
was said to have been greater than the entire area of Portugal. By the 18th
century, some
prazos
were effectively functioning as independent states, and the 'Zambezi
donas'
(as the
prazeir-
os
were known), enjoyed positions of prominence and power. Over time, the system became the basis for the rise
of an Afro-Portuguese ruling elite, and formed a type of feudal aristocracy that dominated the affairs of the re-
gion.
However, the
prazo
system was inherently unstable and ultimately failed due in part to rivalries among the
prazeiros
, a scarcity of Portuguese women, African resistance, and poor economic performance. By the late-19th
century, many of the
prazeiro
families had emigrated and the system lay in shambles.
Prazos
were finally abol-
ished in the early 20th century when António Salazar came to power in Portugal.
Sleeping
HOTEL
Hotel Flamingo $$
( 82-552 7810, 24-215602;
www.hotelflamingoquelimane.com
;
cnr Avenidas Kwame
Nkrumah & 1 de Julho; s Mtc2000-3200, d Mtc2500-3800; )
This popular
midrange hotel opposite Praça dos Heróis has bland but good-value rooms, efficient staff,
a small pool, tiny gym and a restaurant. It's often fully booked.
Hotel Chuabo $$$
( 24-213182, 24-213181; hotelchuabo@teledata.mz; Avenida Samora Machel; s/d
Mtc3175/3900; )
The Chuabo is a Quelimane institution, one of the few hotels any-
where in the country that managed to stay running throughout the war years. The spa-
cious, faded rooms come with TV, fridge and air-con, and many have views over the river.
The usually empty rooftop restaurant has surprisingly decent meals, waiters in starched
shirts, and wonderful views. The spiral staircase, descending over six levels, is a high-
light.
HOTEL
