Carmelita Rita Namashulua (born 2 December 1962) is a Mozambican teacher and politician of the ruling FRELIMO party.
During president Filipe Nyusi's second mandate (2020–2025), Namashulua was appointed the Minister of Education and Human Development for Mozambique (MINEDH). She was previously Minister of State Administration and the Public Service of Mozambique between (2015–2020).
Early life and career.
Namashulua was born on 2 December 1962 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She speaks Shimakonde, Kiswahili, Portuguese and English.
Namashulua moved from Tanzania to Mozambique as a child and was educated at the FRELIMO Secondary School in Ribaué until 1981. She studied for a degree in mathematics and physics from Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) in Maputo and a degree in psycho-pedagogy from the Pedagogical University in Maputo. Namashulua was awarded the Socialist Emulation in 1985.
After graduating, she worked as a Physics teacher at Josina Machel Secondary School in Maputo. She then worked as the Coordinator of Support Programs for Vulnerable Women in the Office of the First Lady and as an Advisor to the National Institute of Social Action.
Political career.
Namashulua is a politician of the ruling FRELIMO party and since September 2006 has been a member of the Central Committee and the Secretariat of the Central Committee. 
Namashulua served as Minister of State Administration and the Public Service of Mozambique between 2015 and 2020. In this role, she tackled the fraud of 30,000 "ghost workers" on the civil service payroll, which cost the government $250m in two years, and aimed to increase the number of female primary school teachers. She has spoken to the international press about tackling state corruption in Mozambique, including "favouritism, nepotism, illicit charges for admitting people to jobs in public administration and the falsification of licences."
Namashula was then appointed Minister of Education and Human Development for Mozambique. She oversaw education closures and the reopening of primary schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. When teachers demonstrated due to a lack of overtime payments in 2022 and 2023, she appealed for teachers to remain calm. She has also supported initiatives such as International Mother Language Day and World Book Day.