Margarida Adamugy Talapa | |
|---|---|
| President of the Assembly of the Republic | |
| Assumed office 13 January 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Esperança Bias |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 6,1962 |
| Political party | FRELIMO |
Margarida Adamugy Talapa (born 5 June 1962) is a Mozambican politician who has been President of the Assembly of the Republic since January 2025.
Margarida Adamugy Talapa was born in Memba,Nampula Province,on 5 June 1962. [1] She is a member of the Macua ethnic group. [2]
Talapa joined FRELIMO in 1974,just after the country's war of independence ended. She joined the party's youth and women's movements in 1976. [2] She was a member of the first Secretariat of the Mozambican Youth Organisation (OJM) in the District of Member in 1977. [3] In August 1991,she became a member of the Frelimo Central Committee. [3]
From 1994,Talapa worked in the provincial and central offices preparing for elections. [3] In 1997,she was elected as a delegate for the party's seventh congress. [2]
Talapa was elected to parliament in 2000. [2] She was elected to the central committee of the party and then in February 2010 she was elected to the lead the party's parliamentary group. [2] She was deputy head of the parliamentary group from 2000 to 2009. [3] During the 2012 congress,she played a significant role in helping Armando Guebuza maintain control of the party and spoke of her admiration for him. [2]
Talapa was the government appointed non-executive director of telecom company Mcel from 2007 to 2013,resigning after the parliament approved a law of public integrity that limited conflicts of interest. [2]
Talapa served as Minister of Labour and Social Security from 2020 to January 2025 in the government of President Filipe Nyusi. [1] [4]
Talapa was elected chair of the Assembly of the Republic on 13 January 2025 after standing as the sole candidate for the ruling Frelimo Party. [5] She is the third woman to serve as parliamentary speaker in Mozambique,succeeding Esperança Bias who was President from 2020 to 2025. [1] [6] In her first speech as President of the Assembly,Talapa said she was aware she was taking over at a challenging time and that she would seek to ensure the Assembly remains a worthy representative of all Mozambicans. She said,"We will work with all living forces to pacify society,with national unity and the strengthening of democracy,tolerance and a culture of peace. Regardless of whether we are from different parliamentary benches,we must look to the people." [7]
In May 2025,Talapa spoke on a panel on "The Role of Women for Environmental Well-Being" at the 10th International Ecological Congress in St Petersburg,Russia. [8]
Talapa is a Muslim. [2] Her daughter,Anchia Safina Talapa Formiga was elected to the Parliamentary Assembly in 2025. [9]