Mozambique: Mondlane lays out terms for him to aid in ‘national pacification’ – Watch

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Mozambique: Mondlane lays out terms for him to aid in ‘national pacification’ – Watch

1:46 CAT | 13 Jan 2025

Screen grab: Venâncio Mondlane / Facebook

Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane yesterday expressed his availability to help build “national pacification”, laying down some preconditions for participating in a political dialogue aimed at putting an end to post-election tension in Mozambique.

“What I want to bring now is that there must be concrete measures, so that the population feels in their daily lives that this dialogue is also remembering them. My proposal was the national commitment to build three million houses for young people in five years, and an amount of up to US$600 million [€585 million] for small and medium-sized companies that suffered during the protests,” Mondlane declared in a live-stream from his Facebook page.

Mondlane also demanded the release of the approximately 5,000 people detained during the protests contesting the election results.

He further called for the approval, in a law or parliamentary resolution, of a government commitment to create a five-year, US$500 million (€488 million) line of financing for micro and small businesses owned by young people and women.

Venâncio Mondlane also called for free medical treatment and medication for all those injured during the protests, as well as financial compensation for those who lost family members.

“If this is done, I, Venâncio, feel that we have a good platform to begin a process of reconciliation and peace in Mozambique,” said the former presidential candidate, stating that what he wants most is “the well-being of the people”.

“If this is done, I am available to sit at the negotiating table, I am available until we reach a national agreement on a national agenda with these points, as long as this national agenda is then approved by parliament in the form of a resolution or a law,” he said.

On Saturday, Venâncio Mondlane called for three days of strikes in Mozambique starting on Monday and for “peaceful demonstrations” during the inauguration of members of parliament and of the new Mozambican president.

“The time has come for you to demonstrate your own initiative,” he said in a live broadcast early in the evening from his official Facebook account, referring to the inauguration ceremonies scheduled for Monday for the 250 members of parliament and on Wednesday of President Daniel Chapo.

“These three days are crucial for our lives. We have to show that the people are in charge. Peaceful demonstrations. From 8:00 to 17:00 [two hours less in Lisbon] is enough, against the traitors of the people on Monday, and against the thieves of the people on Wednesday,” he stated.

Venâncio Mondlane returned to Mozambique on Thursday, after two-and-a-half months abroad, citing security concerns, and still does not recognize the announced results of the general elections of October 9, in which the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, in power since 1975) saw its candidate Daniel Chapo elected President of the Republic, maintained its absolute majority of deputies in the Assembly of the Republic, and secured all provincial governorships.

Source: Lusa