Mozambique: Is Forquilha the Judas Iscariot in Mondlane’s political life?

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Mozambique: Is Forquilha the Judas Iscariot in Mondlane’s political life?

3:38 CAT | 07 Jan 2025

FILE - Albino Forquilha has come to be seen by some as a "sell-out to the regime" if he surrenders to the privileges and perks that the law grants to the leader of the largest opposition party.[ File photo: Amilton Neves/AFP]

In Mozambique, Albino Forquilha is being accused of betraying the country for agreeing to the swearing-in of deputies from his party and others. Podemos denies this and rather speaks of fulfilling an agreement with Mondlane.

“Let’s make Forquilha rich so that the people can be left in peace” is the name of a fundraising campaign that is moving Mozambicans. How does it work? Each citizen sends one metical to the mobile account of the Podemos leader, so that he can get 30 million meticais, an amount equivalent to the number of people that make up the Mozambican population.

“If it’s money he needs, it’s money he’ll get,” the citizens urge. However, identifying the author of this unique and even hilarious initiative is proving to be a Herculean task. But, finally, activist-journalist Zito Ossumane has been identified as the face of the campaign.

“This is to clearly demonstrate that we are dissatisfied. So that he will give up this process of betrayal, because what is at stake cannot be money, but the collective well-being of all Mozambicans. So, this campaign essentially aims to dissuade him from this claim, which for now only reminds us of the acts of Judas Iscariot, who sold out Jesus for 30 coins,” Ossumane says.

Sold out to the regime?

Albino Forquilha has come to be seen as a “sell-out to the regime” after accepting that his party’s deputies take office in a context of denial of the October 9 election results and by accepting, for now, to be recognized as the leader of the largest opposition party, with all the perks and benefits that the law confers on this status.
His spokesperson denies the accusations and claims that it is a serious accusation that is tarnishing the image of his leader.

“This campaign should not affect us. The Podemos party knows the dignity of President Forquilha […]. He left the ruling party [Frelimo] precisely because of this issue, also to escape this issue of purchases and bribes,” says Duclésio Chico. “This campaign is a way of putting pressure on Forquilha not to take office the deputies elected by the people.”

But it is precisely because of Forquilha’s embryonic links with Frelimo, which has governed the country for almost 50 years, that the flames of distrust are spreading. Ossumane suspects that the leader of Podemos has sold out to the party that governs the country, especially because, according to him, he would not be the first.

“In ideological terms, Forquilha himself, or perhaps the Podemos organisation itself, is not so far removed from the teachings of the Frelimo party. Forquilha is a former member of Frelimo, and has held senior positions in the party’s [Freimo] administration at provincial and city level in Maputo,” he muses.

“Therefore, he is able to converse very well with the current leaders, and knows the corridors very well. And the feeling one gets is that yes, he has reached an agreement with the Frelimo party to have access to these privileged positions that resolve many things in terms of monetary amounts,” Ossumane concludes.

A split or a rupture?

The decision by Podemos and its leader triggered tension with Venâncio Mondlane and his advisor Dinis Tivane, after the latter said that Forquilha was “not a valid interlocutor” and Venâncio Mondlane announced, in a letter, that any agreement or negotiations “are null and void”, considering the union agreed between the parties.

But Duclésio Chico defends Forquilha, seeking legitimacy precisely in the aforementioned, non-public agreement that allows them to assume their positions in Parliament.

“This is an unfounded accusation by the candidate [Venâncio Mondlane] and his representative. Candidate VM and President Forquilha have a signed agreement that calls for these two moments: First, victory, and second, in the event of a second place. Therefore, these statements by VM’s representative are unfounded and Podemos does not identify itself with them,” he argues.

Chico suggests a lack of respect on Venâncio Mondlane’s part, in addition to his inaccessibility to discuss matters of joint interest. For PODEMOS, Forquilha’s supposed campaign to help enrich himself is also a surprise. Are the two parties on the verge of a political divorce?

“There is still no divorce between us. Despite Dinis Tivane, we are still checking how we can resolve this situation. There has still been no divorce between Venâncio Mondlane and the Podemos party,” Chico stresses.

Source: Deutsche Welle