Mozambique to elect new president amid waves of protests

A “national strike” is threatened as Mozambique’s president-elect is sworn in on Wednesday, more than three months after disputed elections.

Daniel Chapo, 48, obtained 65% of the votes in a survey that Opposition leaders, election observers and the general public said it was rigged..

The result unleashed a wave of demonstrations – some peaceful, others violent – ​​that led to chaos that included murders and vandalism.

Chapo’s biggest rival is Venâncio Mondlane. Last week he returned from his self-imposed exile. He spent time in South Africa, where he says he survived an assassination attempt.

Now he calls on Mozambicans to take to the streets once again on inauguration day “against the people’s thieves.”

Mozambique’s two main opposition parties – Renamo and MDM – say they are boycotting Wednesday’s swearing-in ceremony because they also do not recognize Chapo as the rightful winner.

Even those in Mozambique who wish the best for the president-elect openly question his legitimacy.

“El Chapo is someone I admire a lot,” civil society activist Mirna Chitsungo tells the BBC.

“I worked with him for four years; I know his willingness to act, his openness to dialogue and his willingness to follow the recommendations of civil society on the ground.

“However, he is assuming illegitimate power. This arises from a fraudulent electoral process… He is assuming power in a context in which the people do not accept it.”

In addition to winning over a hostile public, El Chapo will also have to achieve the economic change and stop the corruption he promised during the campaign.

“El Chapo will face many enemies because it seems that Mozambique is ruled by cartels, including book cartels, medicine cartels, sugar cartels, drug cartels, kidnapping cartels, mafia groups “says analyst and investigative journalist Luis Nhanchote.

“He needs to have a strong team of experts, willing to join him in this crusade to meticulously dismantle the groups,” he adds.

“But first he has to calm the Mozambicans and do everything in his power to restore peace in the country.”

Daniel Francisco Chapo was born on January 6, 1977 in a place called Inhaminga, province of Sofala, the sixth of 10 siblings. These were the years of the civil war in Mozambique and the armed conflict forced his family to move to another nearby district.

His secondary education in the coastal city of Beira was followed by a law degree from Eduardo Mondlane University and then a master’s degree in development management from the Catholic University of Mozambique.

Now married to Gueta Sulemane Chapo, with whom he has three children, Chapo is also said to be a church-going Christian and a basketball and soccer enthusiast.

Many current and former colleagues describe Chapo as a humble, hard-working and patient leader.

Before becoming the presidential candidate of the ruling Frelimo party, he had been a radio and television presenter, notary, university professor and provincial governor before rising to the position of general secretary in Frelimo.

Speaking at his recent birthday celebrations, Chapo himself acknowledged the enormous challenge that awaits him as president.

“We must economically recover our country… it is easy to destroy, but building is not an easy task.”

National reconciliation, the creation of more jobs, the reform of the electoral law and the decentralization of power are the main priorities of his agenda, he stated.

But how successful can it be without the support of the country?

At the very least, it will mark a change from outgoing president Felipe Nyusi, who Chitsungo says many Mozambicans will be happy to see behind him.

“El Chapo is a figure of dialogue and consensus, not someone who perpetuates Nyusi’s violent style of government. He has the potential to negotiate with Mondlane.

“Although Chapo may not fully satisfy all of Mondlane’s demands, I believe he could satisfy at least 50% of them,” adds Chitsungo.

Mondlane, a part-time pastor and independent candidate who insists he was the real winner of the polls, is reported to be taking refuge in one of the capital’s hotels. It is not known what security protection is there or who pays for it.

He claims that last week, while walking through a market in Maputo, a nearby vendor was shot, echoing the murder of two of his closest collaborators in October.

As the mastermind of the nationwide protests against the controversial election result, he is considered by many to be the voice of the voiceless. However, at present, the president-elect’s camp is not engaging with him publicly.

However, listening to the public’s complaints and demands, and sometimes ignoring the orders of his ruling party, Frelimo, will be key to Chapo’s success, analysts told the BBC.

It seems that finding some way to constructively collaborate with Mondlane would certainly provide a boost.

Winning over the public may also require El Chapo to say no to “the elite’s high salaries and fringe benefits, some of which are 10 times higher than Mozambique’s minimum wage,” Nhachote argues.

Furthermore, if El Chapo is to have any chance of ending the broader political crisis, he will need the support of others to achieve lasting structural change, maintains prominent cleric Reverend Anastacio Chembeze.

“Perhaps we should remain skeptical that a single person can solve Mozambique’s challenges: change must begin within the system itself.

“We must fight for a separation of powers within the state apparatus, international monopolies have enormous interests in the country and we have serious ethical problems within the political elites to address it.”

Once in the office, Chapo is advised to fire the country’s police chief, Bernardino Rafael, analysts told the BBC. He denies any wrongdoing, but is considered by some to be the mastermind behind the brutal response to post-election protests.

They say they want to replace him with a successor who “respects human rights” and follows legal and international standards. Another suggestion that analysts have touted is to appoint a new attorney general.

It should be noted that Chapo will be the first president of Mozambique who did not fight in the war of independence.

“He is part of the new generation. Part of his environment is completely different from his predecessors: he was born in a country liberated by them,” says Nhachote.

“If he wants to make a real mark on history, he has to challenge those icons of the past. If he can’t (achieve that), I’m sure he’ll only run for one term.”