CIP Mozambique Elections: Frelimo closes schools & forces teachers to campaign

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CIP Mozambique Elections: Frelimo closes schools & forces teachers to campaign

9:41 CAT | 03 Sep 2024

Image: CIP Eleições

Frelimo closed many schools and public services for first week of campaign

Teachers and staff of the public administration were forced to leave their workplaces to support the Frelimo campaign last week, in the first week of the official electoral campaign. For their part, the opposition parties did not take part in the campaign in many districts.

In Cabo Delgado on Ibo Island, the District Economic and Infrastructure Services were abandoned. The staff were on the Frelimo campaign, as can be seen in the video below.

This scenario is happening in all provinces.

In Niassa, for example, the staff of the district services and teachers are on the election campaign which has forced their normal activities to stop.

In Nampula, some schools in the town of Namapa, Eráti district, were closed due to the involvement of many teachers in the Frelimo election campaign. The directors of these schools occupy positions in the District Elections Commission and in the district STAE.

Teachers confirm forced to abandon classes

Teachers report they must abandon their classes to boost the Frelimo campaign. In Nacaroa, Nampula, the Frelimo District Committee met with staff and, through the district administrator, threatened to fire them if they refused to take part in the Frelimo campaign. Orders have been given for them not to be marked absent. School directors were told they will be sacked if they mark as absent any staff who are working on the election campaign of the ruling party. As a result, many educational institutions are not working because their staff are on the Frelimo campaign.

Schools in the Zembe, Macate, Manica were closed on Thursday and Friday (August 29 and 30) because the teachers were receiving Esperança Bias, speaker of parliament, who headed the Frelimo central brigade visiting Macate. Pupils from primary and secondary schools in Zembe said there were no classes because of the absence of the teachers.

Pupils at Macate District Secondary School and Macate-sede Primary School said they were informed that they would not have normal classes last week because of the campaign. When CIP correspondents visited, the two schools were closed.

Some teachers in Niassa confirmed that they are obliged to abandon their classrooms to join the Frelimo campaign. According to our correspondents, many staff in other parts of the public administration were also obliged to leave their posts to participate in the Frelimo campaign. Some teachers are also being told they are on lists to be polling station staff, with training starting shortly.

In the Niassa district of Mecula, a teacher at the 16 June General Secondary School told our correspondents that the orders come from the district first secretary of the Frelimo Party: “When the district Frelimo First Secretary orders a staff member to do something and if they are not willing, they are seen as a member of the opposition and transferred to the periphery – to more remote areas where access is difficult”, this teacher denounced.

READ: CIP Mozambique Elections: Continued use of state vehicles – Watch

Source: Centro de Integridade Pública - CIP