24 February, 2021 – It is with great sadness that the GPM heard of the passing away of Mayor Daviz Simango, mayor of Beira, Mozambique. Mayor Daviz Simango was member of the GPM and winner of the dr Benjamin Barber Global Cities Award 2018.
Mayor Simango was elected mayor of Beira in 2003 and remained its leader until his recent death. He was very popular and known for running an effective municipal government. Trained as an engineer, he supported building a system of flood channels to help the low-lying Indian Ocean port of 500,000 people cope with flooding from annual cyclones.
With the passing away of mayor Simango, we lose a strong and ambitious city leader who contributed to the transparency of local government and urban actions against climate change. Our thoughts are with his family and community and wish everyone much strength in processing this loss.
