Filipe Jacinto Nhussi is an engineer

Engineer

An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...

 and the current defence minister

Defence minister

A defence minister is a person in a cabinet position in charge of a Ministry of Defence, which regulates the armed forces in some sovereign nations...

 of Mozambique

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...

.

Biography

Born in Namau in Mueda District

Mueda District

Mueda is a district of the province of Cabo Delgado, in Moçambique. The capital is the town of Mueda.The district of Mueda is limited to the north by the Tanzania atarvés of the river Rovuma, to the west by the district of Mecula in the province of Niassa, to the south by the districts of Montepuez...

, Cabo Delgado Province, Nhussi studied mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...

 in Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...

 and management at the University of Manchester

University of Manchester

The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...

 in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

.
He received further training in management in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, Swaziland

Swaziland

Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...

, and the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

Prior to his appointment to the cabinet

Cabinet (government)

A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...

 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...

, Nhussi worked for the state-owned Mozambique Ports and Railways

Mozambique Ports and Railways

Portos e Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique is the parastatal authority that oversees the railway system of Mozambique and its connected ports. The rail system is composed of a total of 2,983 km rail of the gauge that is compatible with neighboring rail systems...

 authority (CMF). He became executive director

Executive director

Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...

 of CMF-Norte, the northern division of the company, in 1995,
and joined the company's board of directors

Board of directors

A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...

 in 2007.

From 1993 to 2002, Nhussi served as President of Clube Ferroviário de Nampula

Clube Ferroviario de Nampula

Clube Ferroviário de Nampula is a Mozambican football club based in Nampula. They play in the top division in Mozambican football, Moçambola. Their home stadium is Estádio do Nampula...

,
a top-division

Moçambola

Moçambola is the top division of Mozambican football , and it is organized by the Mozambican Football Federation.-History:...

 football

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 club based in Nampula

Nampula

Nampula is the capital city of Nampula Province in Mozambique.It has a population of 471,717 making it the third largest city in Mozambique after Maputo and Beira. It is home to the Mozambique National Ethnographic Museum, several markets, cathedrals and mosques.It is also the center of business...

. He is also a lecturer

Lecturer

Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...

 at the Nampula campus of the Universidade Pedagógica, a fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative, and a member of the National Committee of Fighters of the National Liberation Struggle .

Ministry appointment

Nhussi assumed public office on March 27 2008, succeeding Tobias Joaquim Dai

Tobias Joaquim Dai

General Tobias Joaquim Dai is the former Minister of National Defence of Mozambique. He took office on January 17, 2000 and was replaced by Filipe Nhussi in March 2008.Dai is the brother-in-law of President Armando Guebuza....

.
Nhussi's appointment came almost exactly one year after a fire and resulting explosions of munitions at the Malhazine armoury

Armory (military)

An armory or armoury is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...

 in 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...

 killed more than 100 people and destroyed 14,000 homes. A government-appointed investigative commission concluded that negligence

Negligence

Negligence is a failure to exercise the care that a reasonably prudent person would exercise in like circumstances. The area of tort law known as negligence involves harm caused by carelessness, not intentional harm.According to Jay M...

played a role in the disaster, and Dai "was blamed by many for failing to act on time to prevent the loss of life".
Although no official reason was given for Dai's removal, it may have been a "delayed reaction" to the Malhazine disaster.