RENAMO ORDERS SACKING OF MUNICIPAL COUNCILLORS
Maputo, 30 Jul (AIM) – Mozambique’s main opposition party, Renamo, has ordered the mayor of the town of Vilankulo to sack three municipal councilors, reports the independent television station, STV.
The three are all members of Renamo, but they signed forms in support of the independent candidate for the presidential election scheduled for 9 October, Venancio Mondlane.
Mondlane had been a prominent member of Renamo and was its candidate for mayor of Maputo in last year’s municipal elections. When the Renamo leadership refused to allow him to attend the party congress held in mid-May, he resigned from Renamo and organized a group of young supporters to collect the 10,000 signatures needed for his presidential bid.
Mondlane is backed by the Democratic Alliance Coalition (CAD). Founded in 2018, CAD had become moribund, but the Mondlane campaign has rescued it from obscurity.
The Vilanculo councilors who backed Mondlane are Agira Marrumela, Councillor for Development and the Local Economy; Bionaldo Vilanculos, Councillor for Culture, Sport and Social Matters, and Anastácio Vilankulo, Councillor for Administration and Finance.
They obtained these positions because, at the time of the municipal elections, they were regarded as loyal members of Renamo. Vilankulo was the only municipality in southern Mozambique won by Renamo.
But when it found they had supported Mondlane, the Renamo Inhambane provincial delegation ordered the mayor of Vilanculo, Quinito Vilanculo, to sack them.
The provincial delegation said it was acting on instructions from the Renamo President, Ossufo Momade. The three are accused of violating a clause in the Renamo statutes which forbids Renamo members from joining any bodies linked to other parties without prior authorization from the Renamo National Council.
The same document instructed the mayor to send the Renamo leadership profiles of possible replacement councillors so that the party can give its opinion.
Neither Quinito Vilankulo, nor the Renamo Inhambane political delegate were willing to speak to STV.
(AIM)
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