Momentum remains with Mondlane
Opposition leader draws massive crowds – even as the government gets on with business as usual.
Luis Nhachote
Since returning from his self-imposed exile on 9 January, opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane has left his makeshift headquarters in the Maputo City Lodge just three times.
First, he went to a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Maputo to visit the families of people who were killed or injured in the state security forces’ brutal response to widespread post-election protests. Mondlane’s supporters allege that the election was rigged, and that he should now be president – rather than the ruling party’s Daniel Chapo, who was inaugurated earlier this month.
Second, Mondlane visited the country’s largest hospital, also in Maputo, to hug and commiserate with people who had been injured during the demonstrations.
On Thursday, Mondlane went further afield, travelling to the far northern city of Tete. Videos on social media show chaotic scenes as the 51-year-old politician was mobbed by thousands of euphoric supporters. Even on his journey there, Mondlane’s vehicle was surrounded by fans, showing that his popularity extends far beyond the capital city.
Meanwhile, Chapo spent the week receiving official congratulations from French President Emmanuel Macron and meeting the chief executive of TotalEnergies to discuss the progress of several energy projects worth potentially tens of billions of dollars – projects that Mondlane says have been mired in corruption.
Chapo also attended an emergency summit of the Southern African Development Community to discuss the fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, which could be a major diplomatic headache for his new administration. Mozambique has previously relied on troops from both Rwanda and South Africa – who accuse each other of stoking conflict in the DRC – to contain the long-running insurgency in Cabo Delgado province.