Prepared and compiled by MALIK MERCHANT
As the 50th Hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims, Mawlana Shah Rahim Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan V, arrives in Mozambique to celebrate the 50th Independence Celebration of the Republic on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, we present tributes paid by the Mozambique’s current President, Daniel Chapo, and Prime Minister, Benvinda Levi, to his late father, Mawlana Shah Karim, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV, who passed away on February 4, 2025.
We follow the tributes with highlights of the new Imam’s visit to Mozambique in 2022, when, as Prince Rahim and representing his father Mawlana Shah Karim, he attended the inauguration of the Aga Khan Academy.
His new visit to Mozambique, the first as the 50th Imam, is a testament to the continuity of Mawlana Shah Karim’s legacy.
Tribute by President Daniel Chapo (ADAPTED from Aim News)
Mozambican President Daniel Chapo sent a message of condolences for the death of Prince Karim Aga Khan, which took place on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.
The Head of State stated, in the message, that it was with deep sadness and dismay that he received the news of the death of Aga Khan.
“Prince Karim Aga Khan leaves a remarkable legacy, not only through his work and dedication to the Foundation, but also through his positive impact on the lives of many people. The Mozambican people are witnesses to several works of their Foundation in the area of health and education, which has contributed to the socio-economic development of our country, which has conferred greater human dignity to the various families”, reads the letter from the Head of State.
Chapo went on to stress that Prince Aga Khan would always be remembered, above all, for his commitment to promoting education, health and social progress, “values that have transcended borders and benefited countless peoples, including ours, through the Aga Khan Development Network, as a promoter of solidarity and inclusion, which will continue to inspire generations”.
At this difficult time, added the Head of State, the Mozambican people join the mourning of the family and the Aga Khan Foundation and pay tribute to a life so well lived.
“It is our wish that you find comfort in the certainty that Prince Karim Aga Khan has left a mark that will continue to shine and make a difference in the world in general and in Mozambique in particular. In fact, his departure is an irreparable loss, but his memory and his deeds will remain a source of inspiration for all of us.”
Therefore, on behalf of the Mozambican people, the Government of the Republic of Mozambique and on his own behalf, the Mozambican statesman offers condolences to the Aga Khan’s family, the Ismaili Community and all who have been impacted by his mission to serve humanity.
Chapo concluded his message by wishing Prince Aga Khan’s example of leadership and philanthropy to continue to illuminate the way to a more just and harmonious world.
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Tribute by Prime Minister Benvinda Levi (reproduced from Club of Mozambique)
Mozambican prime minister Benvinda Levi lamented the death of Prince Karim Aga Khan in statements to Lusa today, highlighting the legacy of the founder of a network that “was always with Mozambique”, especially in supporting those affected by terrorism in Cabo Delgado.
“We are very saddened, the relationship between Mozambique and the Aga Khan Network is long-standing and very positive. They were with us even in the worst moments of our history. The network was always with Mozambique. We are sad and have already expressed our condolences,” Benvinda Levi told Lusa.
The prime minister highlighted the importance of the Aga Khan Network’s projects in Cabo Delgado, a province in the north of the country that has been ravaged by incursions by rebel groups since 2017.
“Especially when terrorism began in Cabo Delgado, they were among the few who remained on the ground, carrying out their activities and supporting the population. They continue to this day,” he added.
The network’s main projects in Mozambique are focused on the education, health, infrastructure and industry sectors, operating mainly in Cabo Delgado, with a cooperation agreement signed in 1998.
Among the main projects is the MozTex company, a Aga Khan Network investment which has been seeking, for the past 15 years, to revitalize the textile industry in Mozambique, a sector in which the country was once the “giant” in southern Africa.
In total, the Aga Khan Network invested more than US$6 million (€5.7 million at current exchange rates) rebuilding the factory, but the main challenge has always been linked to the workforce, which had to be trained, with the company having trained 1,300 employees.
Today, with a presence on the international market, MozTex produces 5.8 million items of clothing annually, exported mainly to South Africa.
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2022 HIGHLIGHTS: His Highness the Aga Khan, then Prince Rahim, in Mozambique
In this report, prepared in 2022, the 49th Imam, Mawlana Shah Karim, is referred to as Mawlana Hazar Imam and his successor as Prince Rahim.
Prince Rahim Aga Khan arrived in Maputo on March 17, 2022, for a three-day visit to Mozambique. Prince Rahim’s visit began at the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Welfare for a meeting with Minister Nyeleti Brooke Mondlane, who congratulated Prince Rahim on the inauguration of the Aga Khan Academy Maputo. Minister Mondlane, in a touching moment, fondly recalled her childhood when she and her siblings attended Aga Khan schools in neighbouring Tanzania, a personal connection that resonates with many who have been part of the Aga Khan’s educational initiatives.
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Prince Rahim also visited the Presidential Palace in Maputo, where he met with President Filipe Nyusi. He conveyed Mawlana Hazar Imam’s greetings and warm wishes to President Nyusi and acknowledged the long-standing relationship between the Ismaili Imamat and Mozambique.
AKDN’s projects in Mozambique over the past two decades have not only made a significant impact but also laid the foundation for sustainable development. These include the rehabilitation of the historic Polana Serena Hotel, a Coastal Rural Support Programme that supports entrepreneurship and skills development in the country’s poorest northern districts, and the Moztex garment factory. With over half a million beneficiaries reached since 2001, AKDN’s commitment to the region’s long-term development is evident.
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Prince Rahim then travelled to the Parliament building to meet with Esperança Laurinda Bias, President of the Assembly of the Republic. The President thanked Prince Rahim for his visit to Mozambique and praised AKDN’s work in the country, especially in the Cabo Delgado province.
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Prince Rahim graced a significant state banquet hosted by President Filipe Nyusi at the Presidential Palace Ponta Vermelha. The banquet paid tribute to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the President of Portugal, who was also on a diplomatic visit to Mozambique.
In their remarks, both President Nyusi and President de Sousa highlighted the global influence of Mawlana Hazar Imam and the Aga Khan Development Network, whose efforts have significantly improved the quality of life in Mozambique and across the world.
On March 18, 2022, Prince Rahim was welcomed by Amin Rawjee, President of the Ismaili Council for Mozambique, as the Imamat flag stood raised atop the Jamatkhana. Prince Rahim met with leaders of the Ismaili community and toured the historic Jamatkhana’s spaces, gardens, and religious education classrooms.
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Situated in the heart of Mozambique’s capital, along the Indian Ocean coast, Maputo Jamatkhana stands as a monument to the long history of the Ismaili community in southern Africa. The Jamatkhana built in 1941 underwent significant extensions in the mid 1960’s. The extension was inaugurated in 1968 by the then Governor General, Dr Baltazar Rebelo de Sousa, father of the current President of Portugal, Professor Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa whose visit to Mozambique coincided with that of Prince Rahim.
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Prince Rahim later visited the Aga Khan Academy Maputo ahead of its official inauguration on Saturday, March 19. He spent time with teachers and staff of the school and toured the Academy campus and facilities, including the state-of-the-art science building, sports hall, and newly completed commons building.
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To the students here today, I would like to share with you one perspective. Throughout your studies and your youth, adults will tell you that the future is ahead of you. I want to tell you that the future is what you leave behind you, shaped by every one of your actions and your statements and your decisions. The future follows behind you in the path that you choose. Look at this academy — it’s an institution born of past decisions and past actions, which now will shape the future: your future, the future of your families, and the future of this beautiful country, Mozambique. — Prince Rahim Aga Khan, Maputo, March 19, 2022.
At a special event held in Maputo on Saturday March 19, 2022, the Aga Khan Academy Maputo was inaugurated by Filipe Nyusi, President of Mozambique, and Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of Portugal, in the presence of Prince Rahim Aga Khan. Hosted at the school’s newly opened Commons building, the inauguration was attended by students and staff of the school; government and state officials; representatives of faith communities, businesses, and civil society; and leaders of the Jamat and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).
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As a centre of excellence, this Academy will equip its students with the tools needed to be competitive and to thrive, as they go on to their universities and then enter the arena of adult life. And it will teach them to push themselves to be the best they can possibly be. Prince Rahim Aga Khan, Maputo, March 19, 2022.
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The Portuguese newspaper Obsevador in its report noted that the Presidents of both Mozambique and Portugal applauded the partnership that the two countries maintain with the Ismaili Muslim community. According to the paper, the Portuguese President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, praised “the vision of His Highness Aga Khan”, and his message of humanism and fraternity. The President said that “there are millions of children and young people around the world who cannot attend an academy like this. [And that] they have to be the best to respond to this opportunity that others don’t have. And then, the best to build Mozambique, a Mozambique open to all religions, to those who have no religion, to all opinions, to all dreams, to all projects for the future. That is your duty”, he told the students of the Academy.
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President Filipe Nyusi commended the presence of an Aga Khan Academy in Maputo, along with other ongoing AKDN initiatives in the country. “We have been following the positive impact of various socio-economic projects undertaken by the Aga Khan Development Network, which greatly contribute to the progress of Mozambique, in line with our country’s own development programme,” he said.
According to Obsevador, President Nyusi suggested that AKDN should invest in a hospital, in order to fill the gaps in health in the country. “Even if it’s only a third of this school”, said the head of state in his remarks.
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In his remarks, Prince Rahim spoke of the vision of the Academy and the Aga Khan Curricular Strands which make the school unique.
“As a centre of excellence,” he said, “this Academy will equip its students with the tools needed to be competitive and to thrive, as they go on to their universities and then enter the arena of adult life. And it will teach them to push themselves to be the best they can possibly be.”
The Aga Khan Academies aim to develop future leaders with the skills and knowledge to support positive development in their societies. To achieve this, they recruit exceptional young people from all backgrounds regardless of socio-economic means, and provide them with the highest international standard of education.
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“The wide geographic spread of the Academies is by design,” said Prince Rahim, “to allow students and staff to seamlessly travel to Academies in other countries, see different cultures, and build an appreciation and a love for them.”
Prince Rahim joined President Nyusi and President Rebelo de Sousa as they unveiled the inaugural plaque before taking a tour of the Academy campus.
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Date posted: June 22, 2025.
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