Mozambique: President calls for an end to the destruction of infrastructure during protests

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Mozambique: President calls for an end to the destruction of infrastructure during protests

1:02 CAT | 14 Feb 2025

Photo: Lusa

President of Mozambique Daniel Chapo reiterated today that the dialogue to end the post-electoral crisis will be expanded, calling for unity and condemning the destruction of infrastructure during the protests affecting the country.

“We want to then expand this debate to all social strata (…), the entire Mozambican society will be involved in this debate related to reforms (…). It is by talking that we understand each other,” Daniel Chapo told the media on the sidelines of the Frelimo Central Committee meeting taking place this Friday in Matola, on the outskirts of the Mozambican capital.

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The Mozambican president is in dialogue with political parties to discuss state reforms, including changes to the electoral law and the constitution, initiated by the previous president, Filipe Nyusi, in light of the post-electoral crisis in the country.

In January, after a meeting with four opposition party leaders, Chapo announced consensus on terms of reference to discuss the reforms, including changes to the electoral law.

The meeting was not attended by Venâncio Mondlane, who received the second highest number of votes in the October 9 elections and is now leading the strongest challenge to the results that the country has seen since its first elections in 1994.

Daniel Chapo criticized the destruction of infrastructure during the protests in the country, defending unity and calling for dialogue.

“I also call for us to put an end to these issues related to demonstrations, which are violent and are destroying the social and economic fabric that we have built over the years, both in the public and private sectors,” he added.

According to Chapo, in addition to reforms to the electoral law, the dialogue to end the post-electoral crisis will include discussions related to the process of decentralization of power, a process that also aims to recover “social values”.

“We know very well and recognize that we need to recover some values. These are values related to morals, ethics, and also the youth need to know where we came from, where we are and where we are going,” Chapo declared.

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Mozambique has been experiencing a climate of social unrest since October of last year, with demonstrations and strikes called, at first, by former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who rejects the election results that gave victory to the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) candidate, Daniel Chapo.

Smaller-scale protests are still taking place in different parts of the country with people, in addition to contesting the October 9 election results, protesting the rising cost of living and other social problems.

Since October, at least 327 people have died, including around two dozen minors, and around 750 have been shot during the protests, according to the electoral platform Decide, a non-governmental organization that monitors electoral processes in Mozambique.
With 255 members and 17 substitutes, the Frelimo Central Committee meets today to elect Daniel Chapo, already sworn in as head of state, as president of the ruling party in Mozambique, in addition to electing a new secretary-general, a position held by Chapo himself since May.

Source: Lusa