Africa-Press – Mozambique. More than fifty former guerrilla fighters from the Mozambican National Resistance are camped outside the party headquarters in Maputo to “force” the resignation of its leader, Ossufo Momade, accusing him of “mismanagement” of what is now the third largest parliamentary force.
“We are camped here to make our demands (…), this matter must be resolved here in this building. If he [Ossufo Momade] appears now and says that he is no longer president of Renamo, we will leave,” said João Machava, a former Renamo guerrilla fighter and party member since 1989, speaking on behalf of the group at a press conference at the site on Friday.
At issue is the challenge to the leadership of Ossufo Momade, who was also a presidential candidate in the general elections on 9 October, coming third out of four candidates. In the same vote, Renamo also lost its historic title as the largest opposition party to Podemos, falling from 60 to 28 seats in the Mozambican parliament.
In recent months, former guerrilla fighters have been closing down the provincial offices of the political party across the country in protest against Ossufo Momade’s leadership.
Just over 50 Renamo members from across the country have been camped outside the party headquarters in Maputo since Thursday. After several hours, they spoke to journalists for the first time today, demanding Ossufo Momade’s resignation for alleged mismanagement, non-payment of pensions and subsidies, and lack of operating funds for the party.
“We are here because we demand our rights within the party from the leadership. We do not want Ossufo Momade. If it were up to me, Ossufo Momade would have to resign today for mismanagement,” said the former guerrilla fighter, who is also demanding that the party’s National Council be held – which was scheduled for March but was then postponed without a new date – so that a new president can be chosen.
“We tried to call him for a meeting, and he ignored us. He has been mismanaging the party since he joined (…). We are not talking, they have not opened any lines of communication, the only thing they do is remain silent,” added Machava.
The former guerrilla fighters arrived in the country’s capital with nothing to eat, said Machava, adding that they are willing to sleep on the ground to rescue the ideals of Afonso Dhlakama, the party’s historic leader.
“We sleep here in the yard, almost 98% of the people here are former combatants, sleeping on the ground is not a problem for us, it’s nothing new,” he said, adding that the group is prepared to stay camped at the headquarters for as long as possible.
“The people have instructed us to say that we do not want Mr Ossufo Momade with us (…). In almost all provinces, districts and even localities, we have been closing down the delegations,” said Edgar Silva, a former guerrilla fighter, resident and native of Nampula province in northern Mozambique.
According to the former guerrilla fighters, other Renamo members are still on their way to join the group. This action is being replicated in all the party’s delegations throughout the country, and no end date is in sight.
“When they join us (…) we will divide the group into two, the first will stay here at headquarters and the second group will go to his house” to force his resignation, said former guerrilla João Machava, adding that “Renamo is in a bad way” and that the party “is going bankrupt.”
Ossufo Momade, whose leadership had already been questioned, took over the presidency of Renamo in January 2019, following the death of the party’s historic leader and founder, Afonso Dhlakama (1953-2018), and was re-elected to the post in May 2024, in a process that was strongly contested internally.
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