Esperança Machavela is a Mozambican

Mozambique

Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...

 jurist

Jurist

A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...

 and politician.

Machavela was appointed as Minister of Justice by President Armando Guebuza

Armando Guebuza

Armando Emílio Guebuza is a Mozambican politician and the President of Mozambique since 2005.- Career :Armando Emílio Guebuza was born in 20 January 1943 in Portuguese East Africa...

 on February 11, 2005, when Guebuza named his new government shortly after taking office.
Prior to her appointment, she had worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and had served as an ambassador to Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

.
She was removed from office (along with foreign minister Alcinda Abreu

Alcinda Abreu

Alcinda António de Abreu is a political figure in Mozambique. She was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2008 and is currently Minister of the Environment....

 and transport minister Antonio Munguambe

Antonio Munguambe

Antonio Francisco Munguambe is a Mozambican politician.Munguambe served as Deputy Minister of Trade in the early 1990s,and was appointed as Minister of Transport and Communication by President Armando Guebuza on February 3, 2005, when Guebuza named his new government shortly after taking office.He...

) on March 10, 2008, and was succeeded by Maria Benvida Levy

Maria Benvida Levy

Maria Benvida Levy is a Mozambican politician and former judge.Benvida Levy was appointed Minister of Justiceby President Armando Guebuza on March 11, 2008,succeeding Esperança Machavela, a jurist and former ambassador to Portugal...

, a former judge of the Maputo

Maputo

Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...

City Court.