Africa-Press – Mozambique. The president of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) said today that his future as party leader depends on the members of the national council, who meet on Thursday, but he assured that he will not run for the position again.
“Everything will depend on the decision of the members. I was elected, you clearly followed what happened in Alto Molócue [central Mozambique, in 2024], I was elected. And I have said that at the next congress I will not run; I will leave it to the young people so they can continue with this ship,” said Ossufo Momade, responding to journalists’ questions about his leadership, shortly after arriving in Nampula, in northern Mozambique, where the party’s national council will be held.
Ossufo Momade, 64, assumed the presidency of Renamo in January 2019, following the death of Afonso Dhlakama (1953–2018), and was re-elected for the position at the congress held in May 2024 for a new five-year term, in a process that was heavily contested internally.
However, a wave of opposition to his leadership has been growing, with former guerrillas closing party offices and branches, after Renamo lost its status as the second most voted political force in the general elections of 9 October 2024, falling from 60 seats in the 2019 legislative elections to 28.
The Renamo president has also been accused of alleged “mismanagement”, failure to pay pensions and allowances, and “total incompetence” in dealing with the crisis within the party.
When asked about the party’s crisis and division, Momade normalised the situation, stating that he is not concerned and that the agenda is to “unite the family”.
“This is normal; even in other parties there are these types of problems, but we are not worried about this. Our agenda is clear: unite the family and move forward to victory,” said the Renamo leader.
The political party has scheduled its first national council for Thursday, an event taking place six months after a previous postponement, with Ossufo Momade stating that it will be a day of “celebration” and “several decisions” for the good of Renamo.
“It is a national council that will make several decisions for the good of our party and the good of the country (…). This meeting will make several decisions, and we will ask everyone in Renamo to embrace this party,” said Momade.
Ossufo Momade also stated that Renamo “is strong”, judging by the “sea of people” who welcomed him in Nampula for the national council, which will also discuss the party’s internal political situation.
Renamo had previously announced the first National Council of 2025—statutorily it must hold two per year—on 7 and 8 March, which was later postponed without a new date. The Renamo leadership has acknowledged the requirement to hold two national councils per year but says it is not mandatory that they occur in different semesters.
Ossufo Momade was a presidential candidate in the October 2024 elections, receiving 6% of the vote—the worst result for a candidate supported by Renamo, which until those elections had been the main opposition force in Mozambique since the first elections in 1994.
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