Mozambique: Anamola calls for separation of political parties from electoral bodies
CIP Mozambique Elections: Harassment of opposition and observers
7:18 CAT | 16 Sep 2024
State of the house (built of flimsy materials) where the member of the CDE (District Elections Commission) representing the MDM in Massangena was living- [Photo: CIP]
- Physically keeping the opposition out in northern Gaza
The north of Gaza is a Frelimo bastion and an area of extreme political intolerance. There are few opposition members in these districts. This causes problems for opposition parties trying to find people will to serve on elections commissions and STAE.
The house of Gina Matuasse, the member of the CDE (District Elections Commission) representing the MDM, was set on fire at about 01.00 on Thursday (12 September). The house is in the expansion zone of the 1st neighbourhood of Massangena town. This is the second incident. Earlier people with machetes, knocked on the door of the house of one of the members of STAE representing the opposition at about 01.00. The targeted person did not come out and neighbours defended them.
In another case, persons unknown, supposedly in the possession of machetes, knocked on the door of the house of one of the members of STAE representing the opposition at about 01.00. Nothing worse happened because the victim did not come out, and asked the neighbours for help.
And in Marrupa, Niassa, a businessman known as Riate, last Monday (9 September) received a death threat because he was renting rooms at his hotel to members of the Podemos party, which supports Venâncio Mondlane. Then that night unknown individuals tried to kidnap him, but failed because he escaped to his neighbour’s home. The kidnappers fled.
Flora José Muiambos, a member of Renamo, living in “C” neighbourhood in Chicualacuala, also in the north of Gaza, was evicted from the house she was renting from the neighbourhood secretary, Manuel Armando Bendzane, who accused her of campaigning for the opposition.
- Observers under pressure in Niassa and Zambézia
Election observers report an increasingly hostile environment. They face difficulties observing the Frelimo campaign in Mecanhelas, Niassa. Last Wednesday (11 September) the mobile phone of an observer from the “Mais Integridade” (More Integrity) consortium was confiscated by a security guard of the provincial governor on the instructions of the Frelimo campaign director. The observer was obliged to delete all the photos he had taken of members of the Frelimo Party, as a condition for the return of the cell phone.
In Mopeia, Zambezia, a CIP observer’s cell phone was seized, and it was only returned Thursday (12 September). During the time that the phone was with the Frelimo members, they were trying to discover what information the observer had been sharing. Also in Zambézia, an observer from Mais Integridade received calls from Frelimo leaders asking him how many observers are in the district, and where he will be observing throughout the process. Frelimo is making it a condition that observers obtain daily authorisation from the party leaderships before beginning observation.
In Funhalouro, Inhambane, the opposition saying campaigning is being made difficult by the wave of intimidation, threats, blackmail, and road blocks by members of Frelimo. Frelimo party in Tambara, Manica, is complaining of harassment by its opponents.
Workers of the public administration on Idugo island, 72 km from the town of Mocubela, in Zambézia are afraid of campaigning for Frelimo, supposedly because members of Renamo might attack them.
- Schools remain closed
Our correspondents report that the training of provincial trainers, which began Thursday (12 September) in all the provinces, is attended mostly by teachers and their respective school directors, which means that in many schools the few classes are taking place. In Nacala-a-Velha, classes are frequently paralysed in favour of the Frelimo election campaign. The situation is causing indignation among parents and guardians. Yesterday, for example, several schools had no teachers, because they had to participate in receiving the Frelimo candidate for Nampula provincial governor. Frelimo propaganda was also used on school premises .
The photos below of empty schools are from Nacala-à-Velha.
In Mopeia a sizeable proportion of the 54 candidates for provincial trainers are teachers. After this training, the 50 selected will train 825 candidates for MMVs.
Worse is yet to come. Many teachers will also be polling station staff (MMVs) and their training runs from 24 September to 4 October.
In Morrumbala district, Zambézia, pupils from several schools have no classes. The teacher, directors and other staff are in the training sessions.
In Mossuril, Nampula province, our correspondents found that most of the trainees are school directors, teachers, and other public administration staff. The directors and teachers have abandoned their classes, to dedicate themselves to the training of trainers, and as from 24 September they will be training the MMVs for the elections scheduled for 9 October.
In Murrupula, also in Nampula, the school directors and teachers have abandoned their jobs to participate in the training, while another, substantial number of teachers are involved in the elections campaign, thus restricting the normal course of the classes.
- No school as Gueta arrives
The campaign of Gueta Chapo, the wife of the Frelimo presidential candidate, Daniel Chapo, disturbed the normal course of classes in the Tete and Francisco Manyanga Secondary Schools. Frelimo installed sound equipment outside the building of its provincial headquarters located near the two schools. This caused such a loud noise that it made teaching and learning difficult. Some teachers said on Wednesday (11 September) that they were unable to work because of the noise.
On Friday (13 September) the wife of the Frelimo candidate is going to Chiúta district and Frelimo gave instructions for all its members to be present, as from 05.00, at the bus stops on the roads from Mavudzi Ponte to Chiritse and from Kazula to Chithapsu.
- More than 500 provincial trainers being trained
The training of the 532 provincial trainers began, throughout the country, on Thursday 12 September, and will end next Tuesday (17 September). Of the total number of trainees, 500 will be selected and contracted to replicate the training at district level.
In Maputo, the trainers will train, throughout the province, 17,709 candidates for MMVs. Out of this number, 16,863 MMVs will be selected and contracted. This system is replicated across the country.
Source: Centro de Integridade Pública - CIP Eleições
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