By Josiah Mucharowana
Mozambique has seen renewed deadly protests across the country in the wake of a court ruling on Monday announcing the outcome of October’s contested presidential election result, which when first announced torched off a storm of protests levels of which have been never seen in the former Portuguese colony.
Venâncio Mondlane who apparently is the people’s favourite came second according to the official count, has been calling on his supporters for much of the past two months to demonstrate against what he said was a rigged vote.
Mondlane, himself, is in exile having fled the country accusing the police of threatening behaviour not long after two of his aides were shot dead in October.
In a weekend social media message, he said there could be a “new popular uprising” if the result was not overturned.
Mozambican cities especially the capital Maputo have been uncharacteristically quiet ahead of the vote ruling by the Constitutional Council on Monday.
Since the political deadlock ob 21 October in this Southern African Country, roads and businesses have been closed in fear of the deadly protests by the citizens which is unusual during the festive season.
Due to a faltering economy reeling in the doldrums, millions of Mozambicans, just like their Zimbabwean neighbours to the West have been trekking down to South Africa where they eked out a living as street vendors, construction hands, taxi drivers,spaza shop owners, barbers among other manial jobs.
It is unfortunate, the majority of these people living in the diaspora have not been able to visit familis due to blocked roads and the Mozambique – South Africa border preventing free flow of vehicle traffic.
There have been reports of children shot dead after joining pot-banging protests.
And a protester allegedly shot by the heavy handed police got buried in a police compound amid a huge protest that even the police had to flee for their lives from the angry masses.
Earlier this month, Mondlane told the BBC there was “no way” he could accept the election result, in which Frelimo’s candidate Daniel Chapo won with 71% of the vote signaling the new wave of protest could be a major turning point for the country.
The 50-year-old evangelical pastor Mondlane, who stood as an independent, received 20%.
The electoral commission denied Mondlane’s allegation that the poll was rigged in favour of Frelimo, which has have been in power since independence 49 years ago.
But international election observers have said the elections were flawed, pointing to doctored numbers and other irregularities during the counting process.
The weeks-long demonstrations have led to violent encounters with the police and at least 110 people have been killed, local monitoring group Plataforma Decide said.
It is alleged that many of those who have died have been killed by security forces, but a police commander Bernadino Rafael had previously told the BBC that his officers had been defending themselves after coming under attack.
In a message on Sunday to the largely Catholic country, Pope Francis called for dialogue and the pursuit of the common good to prevail.
Mondlane has been speaking to the outgoing President, Filipe Nyusi, but it is not clear what the outcome of the talks has been.
But what is more conspicuous is the silence of Southern African Development Community( SADC) in the Mozambican political impasse. The grouping has a rotational chairship with all member states taking over after a stipulated time currently is being led from Harare by President Emmerson Munangagwa.
On taking over the chairship, President Munangagwa is famous for saying every Zimbabwean is a SADC chairman wherever they go. This was hilarious coming from a country beset with so many economic problems.
Munangagwa, who hastily congratulated the incumbent Filipe Nyusi quickly called for SADC summit in Harare following the first wave of protests but a few leaders attended with some opting to delegate envoys to the meeting that no concrete action came out to appease the Mozambican fiasco.
Analysts regarded the Harare meeting at the new Chinese built Parliament of Zimbabwe as all froth and no beer. SADC has been largely regarded as an ‘old boys club’ with sitting Presdents unable to call out fellow leaders when they trample on their masses and disregard their constitutuonal mandates.
Historically, SADC was conjured up by former liberation parties including Frelimo of Mozambique, Zanu- PF of Zimbabwe , ANC of South Africa, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana and Namibia.
Tellingly so leaders or rather ‘comrades’ from these liberation parties find it very hard to hand over power on a silver platter to opposition groupings despite losing favour with the masses. They use all tricks in the political playbook to remain in power and in many intances with wanton disregard of human rights.
The Mozambican scenario has once again shown that SADC is a toothless bulldog. It is only there for showmanship and protecting fellow dictator’ s hold on power despite amble evidence the people are fed up. ANC of South Africa went into a coalition with the DA and and other smaller parties , a development that was previously unthinkable. Botswana went through an election with the opposition taking over power and the beauty of it, the former ruling party gave up power without a fuss. Zambia did the same with Hakainde Hichilema of the opposition who has long been in the trenches assuming power eventually.
To a keen eye, there is a new breeze blowing in the region. Opposition parties are agitating for change and the people are loving it. Any leader in the region with roots steeped in the liberation war must be quaking in their boots. The democray train has left the station and it is just unstopable.
