Machanga condemns Renamo attacks: “We’ve had enough of tears of terror”

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Machanga condemns Renamo attacks: “We’ve had enough of tears of terror”

10:51 CAT | 24 Aug 2016

Notícias / President Nyusi conducting a rally in Machanga, Sofala province

Residents of Machanga district, in the central Mozambican province of Sofala, on Monday condemned the insurrection waged by the rebel movement Renamo.

In a message presented to President Filipe Nyusi, who addressed a rally in Machanga on the first day of a visit to Sofala, these residents said they lived in perpetual fear of Renamo raids. “We live in sadness because of attacks by Renamo gunmen”, the message said. “We live in uncertainty. We cannot live at ease. We’ve had enough of tears of terror”.

Nonetheless, they hoped that Nyusi’s repeated messages calling for dialogue to achieve effective peace would bear fruit, and that Renamo would eventually understand the need for dialogue to attain stability.

“We call for dialogue. It’s through dialogue, and not through guns that Mozambique will grow”, stressed the message.

Speakers at the rally also called on the government to ensure that banking services become available in the district (Machanga is one of many Mozambican districts that still do have branches of the commercial banks), that a rural hospital be built in Machanga town, or the current health centre be upgraded to that category, and that the road linking Machanga town to the main north-south highway (EN1) be paved.

In reponse, Nyusi pledged that he will do all in his power to attain peace, and urged the population to preserve national unity. “When we are united, nobody can defeat us”, he said, adding that the government will “continue to defend the population”.

He also stressed the need for increased production – but Machanga is one of the districts in central and southern Mozambique hit by this year’s southern African drought. This year’s harvest in Machanga has been poor, and hunger is stalking the district.

Nonetheless, Nyusi urged Machanga farmers to prepare for the coming rainy season (which should begin in October), since the forecast is for normal rainfall.

“Start to prepare your fields now”, he said. “The high cost of living is due to poor production. We don’t want families to weep of hunger while it is raining. Let’s get to work”.

Source: AIM