Mozambique: Linking protests to the far-right is “forced” and “a distraction” – Mozambican analysts

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Mozambique: Linking protests to the far-right is “forced” and “a distraction” – Mozambican analysts

5:47 CAT | 30 Jul 2025

FILE - Six Southern African liberation movements attended the Liberation Movement Summit: south Africa's ANC, Angola's MPLA, Namibia's SWAPO, Mozambique's FRELIMO, Zimbabwe's ZANU-PF and Tanzania's CCM. ]File photo: Frelimo]

Mozambican analysts consider President Chapo’s assertion that post-election demonstrations were driven by the far-right “controversial and forced”, arguing that it is “a distraction” from the country’s real problems.

“A person who protests because they are unemployed, hungry, homeless, or lacking basic living conditions… Calling that person far-right is, to say the least, controversial,” political analyst Fernando Lima said to Lusa.

The president of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) and Mozambican head of state, Daniel Chapo, called on July 27 for a union of the “liberation parties” of Southern Africa against the far-right, which he says wants to bring “puppet governments” to power.

For political analyst Fernando Lima, the far-right is the new argument Mozambican politics has found to justify citizens’ protests demanding better living conditions.

“Now, the terminology “far-right” is new to the political lexicon. And it’s very controversial. Why is it far-right? Are the Yellow Vests in France far-right? Are social protest movements in the streets far-right? I don’t think so. There are movements of all political stripes,” Lima explained.

“For example, in Germany, there are environmental groups that are very active and very violent in the streets, championing their causes and their flags. Therefore, the issue here is that there has never been a tradition of even speaking in terms of left and right, which is a very common language in European political terminology, especially,” he added.

In this regard, Lima, who is also a journalist, argued that what is at stake in the president’s statements is an “almost opportunistic attempt to link the demonstrations to certain political movement associations”, effectively linking former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who led the protests, with André Ventura’s Portuguese Chega party.

“And, therefore, to attribute these connections, particularly with the Portuguese Chega and with movements in Brazil, saying that they are far-right movements, therefore, Venâncio Mondlane is also far-right. So, President Samora Machel [Mozambique’s first president] was known to have a good relationship with Ronald Reagan [US President], a hyper conservative, and Margaret Thatcher [British Prime Minister], another hyper conservative British woman. Was President Samora Machel far-right?” Lima asked.

READ: Mozambique: Daniel Chapo calls for unity of ‘liberation parties’ against the far-right in Africa – Watch

For his part, Sérgio Chichava, a political science professor at Eduardo Mondlane University, said this is a “forced” narrative meant to distract the public.

Ancff.fb_ — From left to right: Daniel Chapo, president of Frelimo party and President of Mozambique, Emmerson Mnangagwa, president of Zanu PF) party and president of Zimbabwe, Cyril Ramaphosa, president of the ANC and president of South Africa, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, president of the Swapo party and president of Namibia photographed here during the [ Liberation Movements Summit, held from 25 to 28 July in Johannesburg, South Africa. [Photo: Frelimo]

“It’s a distraction from the problems the country faces, because the country is in crisis on all fronts. The situation in the North [terrorism], the economy is also not moving. The country, after that turbulent electoral process, has not yet fully recovered,” Chichava said.

“So we have a president seeking legitimacy that he doesn’t have. He’s always finding scapegoats to justify his failures or his lack of legitimacy. We already know that no one believes that,” he added.

Chichava added that most liberation parties in Africa and their leaders “are on a downward trend,” and that they remain in power by resorting to “vote theft.”

“More than trying to find the tattered institutions, I think that these liberating parties (…) should focus more on solving the problems that make them unpopular (…), they should worry about that,” Chicava recommends.

The ANC is hosting former liberation movements at a summit in Kempton Park. Parties like Angola’s MPLA, Namibia’s Swapo, Mozambique’s Frelimo, Zimbabwe’s Zanu-PF and Tanzania’s CCM are there. President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the summit. #eNCA #DStv403 #AllAngles pic.twitter.com/ehvGB0FlzG

— eNCA (@eNCA) July 27, 2025

The ANC continues to host the Liberation Movements Summit in Kempton Park. Angola’s MPLA, Namibia’s Swapo, Mozambique’s Frelimo, Zimbabwe’s Zanu-PF and Tanzania’s CCM are all at the summit. These movements have much to do if they want to reassert themselves in a changing global… pic.twitter.com/tlu0WopNng

— eNCA (@eNCA) July 27, 2025

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said liberation movements in southern Africa needed to recognise that many of the threats they face are internal.https://t.co/w6FNC9dX6G

— Pindula (@WeArePindula) July 28, 2025

At Johannesburg’s Liberation Movements Summit, Netumbo Nandi‑Ndaitwah, Joaquim Chissano, and Cyril Ramaphosa called for renewed unity, and resistance to external interference among Africa’s liberation movements. https://t.co/ZVPY1QCsXv pic.twitter.com/mJYaZgkAKW

— Namibia Future Media News (@FutureMedia_Nam) July 28, 2025

For centuries, Africa has paid the price for the rapid industrial development of the Global North.

Our people were enslaved and subjugated, our land was occupied, our natural resources were stolen.
https://t.co/nJRI8j1O33

— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) July 27, 2025

Source: Lusa