Mozambique: MDM in crisis in Nampula province?

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Mozambique: MDM in crisis in Nampula province?

2:57 CAT | 28 Oct 2020

MDM delegation in Nampula province, northern Mozambique

MDM members in Nampula province at the beginning of October closed their own provincial delegate’s office as a way of pressuring the party to change its delegate, in power for six years there.

The internal crisis within the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM) in Nampula continues to worsen. Party members on October 5 closed the doors of the provincial political delegation, demanding the withdrawal of the current delegate, Vasco Napaua, who has held the position since 2014.

The ‘insurgents’, who agreed to speak to DW Africa only off the record, explained that the measure was aimed at forcing Napaua to resign, saying his continuing incumbency was giving rise to internal conflict, poor electoral results and loss of membership.

“As with the city delegation [which had a change of delegate], we hoped that with President Simango’s visit last month, the provincial delegation would have changed, but nothing happened. So we decided to close the doors and create an interim management commission,” one of the dissatisfied party members explained.

“Renamo is a mature party”

The MDM’s internal problems are already driving cadres into the arms of other political parties. In early October, at least 16 members left the party and joined Renamo, the main opposition force.

Mdmv.dw_ — *Vasco Napaua (right), MDM provincial delegate in Nampula*

Among them were Maria Moreno, a former member of MDM’s Political Commission, and Gamito dos Santos, former head of information in the provincial Youth League, the latter in fact formalising a two-year de facto absence.

“I chose [to join] Renamo as a mature party that fights for democracy. As we know, we who support the opposition in this country are fighting against some situations that Frelimo has implemented within the Mozambican population,” Santos says.

Is MDM willing to listen to its members?

Regarding the wrangling between the MDM members and their delegate, Santos says that the decision of the rebels is correct, and that the party must listen to them and solve the problem.

“This delegate is one of the people who created the conditions for there to be friction, causing desertions of party members, in this case myself and others,” he says. “We think, in fact, that this delegate never inspired political confidence, and Daviz Simango has been supporting him for a long time.”

Contacted by DW Africa, Vasco Napaua, MDM’s provincial political delegate, declined to comment on the accusations, saying he was out of town and the “nature of the matter” precluded him discussing the matter on the phone.

MDM downplays desertions

Meanwhile, Sande Carmona, MDM’s national spokesman, downplayed the desertions, saying the dissidents were not members and had used his party’s name only for political propaganda.

The MDM spokesman further said he was unaware of the latest developments in Nampula.

Mdmcarmona.dw_ — *MDM spokesperson Sande Carmona*

“As of the moment you called me, I have no information on any closure of the MDM headquarters in Nampula province. Those people who said that have not yet reported it to the party at central level for response,” he said.

Coincidence or not, the truth is that Daviz Simango, who visited Nampula in late September, has scheduled another working visit for the 5th of November. Carmona says that the resolution of internal conflicts is not scheduled, not least because, if they do in fact exist, they are not known about by the national headquarters.

Source: Deutsche Welle