Maputo, 16 May (AIM) – Despite a court order in his favour, Venancio Mondlane has been unable to attend the Congress of Mozambique’s main opposition party, Renamo, currently under way in the municipality of Alto Molocue, in the central province of Zambezia.
Mondlane is perhaps the most popular and well-known figure in Renamo. He was the Renamo candidate for mayor of Maputo in last year’s municipal elections. Credible parallel vote counts suggested that Renamo won in Maputo – which would have made Mondlane mayor of the capital city.
But the municipal elections were scarred by substantial fraud. After the National Elections Commission (CNE) announced the results, Mondlane led largely peaceful demonstrations through the streets of Maputo denouncing the fraud, while the Renamo president, Ossufo Momade, was mostly silent.
In those weeks, Mondlane became the de facto leader of the opposition, and announced his intention of running for the Renamo presidency at the party’s next congress.
Momade was elected President of Renamo at a Congress held in January 2019. The Renamo Congress should be held every five years: but when there was no sign of the Momade leadership organizing a Congress, Mondlane went out a court and successfully took out an injunction ordering the Renamo leadership to hold the Congress.
Mondlane was elected a delegate to the Congress from the Maputo urban district of KaMabukwana, but the chairperson of the Renamo Maputo City Provincial Conference, Samuel Manjate, announced that Mondlane would not be allowed to attend the Congress.
Mondlane’s reaction was to take out an injunction against Renamo demanding, in the name of democracy, that he be allowed to attend the Congress.
The injunction went to the district court in Alto Molocue. The court gave its ruling on Wednesday morning, in favour of Mondlane and ordering the Renamo leadership to let him into the Congress, escorted by the police.
But both the Renamo leadership and the district police commander disobeyed the court. Nobody from Renamo would sign the court dispatch allowing Mondlane into the Congress.
According to Mondlane, addressing an impromptu press conference on Thursday, the court issued a second dispatch that morning ordering the police to accompany him into the Congress.
Again, the district commander refused and, although hundreds of young Renamo supporters were willing to accompany him, Mondlane decided not to risk a confrontation with the Renamo leadership, and stayed away from the Congress.
He pointed out that, under the Mozambican constitution, all Mozambican citizens and institutions must obey court decisions. The Alto Molocue police commander should therefore be arrested and charged with the crime of disobedience.
Although he could not enter the Congress, Mondlane received information from delegates, which led him to believe that organisation of the event was “dictatorial”
He claimed that Congress delegates were not allowed to use their mobile phones, and were not even allowed to speak to each other. Delegates making inconvenient speeches found that the microphone was switched off. “It’s a total and complete disgrace”, said Mondlane.
Asked if he would leave Renamo, Mondlane said that would depend on his network of supporters across the country. He claimed his campaign for the Renamo leadership has 450 coordinators at district, provincial and national level. He would consult with them, probably in the next week, before taking any decision.
Would he stand as an independent in the presidential election? “All possibilities are open”, he replied. He added that 21 minor parties have asked him to stand as their candidate.
Mondlane’s lawyer, Elvino Dias, said that not only could the district police commander be sued for disobedience, but the court could declare all decisions taken by the Congress as null and void.
Mondlane was not the only prominent figure barred from the Congress. Entry was denied to Manuel Bissopo, a former Renamo General Secretary and now the election agent for Elias Dhlakama, the younger brother of the late Afonso Dhlakama, who led Renamo from 1979 until his death in 2018.
Although Bissopo had a document authorizing him to enter the tent where the Congress is being held, the Congress organisers still refused to allow him in.
They told Bissopo he needed authorization from the President of the party, Ossufo Momade. Speaking to the independent television station. TV Sucesso, Bissopo said he found this absurd, since he is representing a man who is challenging Momade for the leadership.
Bissopo said he will remain in Alto Molucue until the end of the Congress, but will not try to force his way into the tent.
(AIM)
Pf/ (752)
