Last night I visited a G4S guard, Manuel Cossa, at his home on the outskirts of Maputo in an area called Luis Cabral. Until recently he had been working at the U.S. Embassy compound until the embassy awarded their contract to another firm.

Manuel is a father of six. Unfortunately, his wife and children weren't at home. There ’ s a school holiday and they had gone to visit relatives in the countryside.

Manuel lived in a home he had built. It looked quite sturdy. He had very few possessions in the three-room house. He lit the house with a candle. I was embarrassed that he might use it all showing me his home. He had one chair but I stood the whole time.

Before he lost his job, he worked 12-hour days. His monthly salary was 1,620 meticais. That's nothing when you consider it has to cover food, school fees, school uniforms and other necessities. Under Mozambique law, when workers are laid off, they're supposed to receive a redundancy payment from their employer to tide them over. Manuel is still waiting for his payment from G4S. How callous ...