Maputo – Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane has called for a fresh wave of protests in all the country’s provinces to pressure the ruling FRELIMO party to disband the disputed election results and hold fresh polls.
Mondlane, who garnered 21% in preliminary results against FRELIMO’s candidate Daniel Chapo’s 71%, has condemned the election as fraudulent.
Protests erupted across the country, with violence claiming at least 30 lives toLast Thursday, police deployed tear gas in Maputo, clashing with demonstrators demanding a legitimate outcome.
The ongoing unrest highlights a trend across Southern Africa, where liberation-era parties, like FRELIMO, struggle to balance democratic ideals with the grip on power.
Much like Zimbabwe’s ZANU-PF, South Africa’s ANC, and Namibia’s SWAPO, FRELIMO is under fire for prioritizing “liberation ownership” over the democratic responsibilities conferred by citizens.
Mozambique’s Defense Minister, Cristovao Chume, has warned of a potential military crackdown, labelling the protests as threats to “democratically established power.”
Meanwhile, SADC’s credibility is at stake, as it faces pressure to respond under its current chair, Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who faces accusations of regional electoral interference.MaMosken Oramba Kupihwa Order Nemasaskamu MaZimba Achingoti Unochohwa-chohwa
