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Mozambique: Did Afonso Dhlakama’s ideals disappear with his death? – DW
3:11 CAT | 05 May 2021
Photo exhibition about the life of Afonso Dhlakama. [Photo: DW]
- This Monday (03-05) marked three years since the death of Afonso Dhlakama, one of the founders of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) party. Now, there is talk within the party of a “slowdown” in the fulfilment of the ideals outlined by the charismatic leader.
Cadres of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), Mozambique’s largest opposition party, on Monday (03-05) recalled the achievements and ideas of the historic leader Afonso Dhlakama, who lost his life on May 3, 2018. Many stressed Dhlakama’s role in building dialogue in Mozambique.
Three years after his death, a ceremony was organized to remember the life and work of the charismatic leader, who called himself “father of democracy”. Some prominent Renamo figures said during the session that there had been a slowdown in carrying out the plans outlined by the party since Dhlakama’s death.
“We feel that Renamo has to do more, because, under its late leader, Renamo was in a position where it had to maintain itself or grow, because the objective was to conquer power. And we can only gain political power if we are rooted, at work, if we set goals and find the support of everyone,” Bissopo said.
The Renamo board demanded still more. “I feel that there needs to be more work, to define more projects so that the dream of Mozambicans can be realized,” he added.
Dhlakama was not happy in opposition
One of the figures who also participated in the ceremony, held under the motto “Recalling Afonso Dhlakama – 1953-2018” was his brother Elias Dhlakama, who said that the former Renamo president “did not die happy, because we were unable to achieve our desired goal of ruling the country”.
For his part, Fernando Mazanga believes that there is a great, perhaps irreparable void. “In fact, these three years have taught us a lot about living without our helmsman, without our father”.
Renamo needs to improve further
Renamo members have various plans to achieve success..
Former party spokesman António Muchanga, now a deputy in the Assembly of the Republic, says that for Renamo to achieve its objective, the party must implement the lessons it learned from Dhlakama, arguing that the party needs to ‘improve’ its policies.
Maria Ivone Soares, who, besides being a member of Renamo, is also related to the late leader, asks for continuity to rebuild the work that Dhlakama started.
“When I say rebuild, it is because there is a visible attempt to conceal the values of democracy, to conceal the values of freedoms and justice that should be the motto of all parties to ensure that the people have good living conditions. But we see that there are still a few who have everything, while most with the people have nothing,” he said.
On the other hand, Fernando Mazanga warns against any imitation of Afonso Dhlakama’s strength and urges Ossufo Momade to reinvent himself.
Mazanga says that “he [Momade] will have to walk his own path, because we were all left with great teachings by President Dhlakama. He [Dhlakama] left trained staff, who I believe are able to continue, because he did not centralize, but decentralized his ideas” .
“There were debates,” Mazanga reminisced. “That’s why we always had meetings of the national council, we had meetings of the political commission, we had meetings of the general secretariat, we had the delegations all working. It was a Dhlakama’s way of transmitting his knowledge.”
Afonso Dhlakama died on May 3, 2018, at the age of 65, in his refuge in the Serra da Gorongosa, in the centre of the country, after leading Renamo for 38 years.
Homenagem ao Presidente Afonso Dhlakama
Ontem 3 de Maio, o país celebrou a passagem de 3 anos do desaparecimento…Publicado por Ossufo Momade em Segunda-feira, 3 de maio de 2021
Source: Deutsche Welle
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