What You Need to Know
Mozambican President Daniel Chapo cautioned against unnamed forces with hidden agendas seeking to destabilize the nation. Speaking at a Frelimo Central Committee meeting, he emphasized the need to isolate these ‘agents of neocolonialism’ and claimed that trust in Frelimo is growing despite claims of its decline. Chapo also highlighted the party’s membership growth and the importance of managing a
Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambican President Daniel Chapo on Thursday warned against “hidden agendas” of unnamed forces supposedly seeking to destabilise Mozambique.
Speaking in his capacity as President of the ruling Frelimo Party, Chapo told the opening session of a meeting of the Frelimo Central Committee that “agents of neocolonialism” must be removed and isolated.
These “agents”, whom he did not name, were trying to seize power in order to control Mozambique’s wealth.
“Every day the incidents of the anti-patriots are revealed and their hidden agenda of destabilisation is unmasked”, he claimed. These “agents” intend “to perpetuate the poverty and suffering of Mozambicans”, but “we are paying attention to these manoeuvres”.
Some people, Chapo said, “are sowing the illusion that Frelimo is coming to its end”, but in reality trust in Frelimo was growing.
“Frelimo has no end”, he declared. “Frelimo has no end because Frelimo is the Mozambican people itself”.
Chapo claimed that “agitators” are provoking “social convulsions and disorder, with the intention of forcing changes outside of the democratic principles enshrined in the Mozambican constitution.
Chapo also claimed that the preliminary results from a census of party members showed that Frelimo has “more than six million members”.
“The balance sheet we have drawn up with the party’s district first secretaries “show great vitality of our party at the grass roots. The data from the census are consistent with the data we already possessed, that we do indeed have more than six million members”.
This claim contradicts figures from the 2004 general elections, when, according to the official results, Frelimo only won 4.4 million votes.
On Friday, the spokesperson for the Central Committee meeting, Pedro Guiliche, claimed that Mozambique is returning to normality, after the post-election unrest of late 2004, and the devastating floods of January.
But he recognised that the American and Israeli aggression against Iran, and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz, are raising the spectre of possible fuel price rises. Should the war in Iran continue, he said, fuel prices will certainly rise. He called for “rational use and management” of the country’s fuel supplies.
Mozambique has faced various challenges since gaining independence in 1975, including civil war and economic instability. The ruling Frelimo Party has been central to the country’s political landscape, often navigating accusations of corruption and authoritarianism. Recent years have seen increased scrutiny of political agendas and the influence of external forces on national stability, prompting leaders like Chapo to address these concerns directly in public forums. The historical context of Frelimo’s governance continues to shape the political discourse in Mozambique today.
