Daniel Chapo was sworn in on Wednesday as Mozambique’s president at a subdued ceremony following months of post-election violence.
However, as Chapo called for Mozambicans to unite and heal the wounds of the past months, police were beating up citizens in downtown Maputo – clashes between security forces and unarmed protesters, mostly youths, have resulted in the death of over 300 people and close to 700 injured.
It must have been with the above picture in mind that Chapo said that he would “devote all my energies to defending, promoting and consolidating national unity, human rights, democracy and the well-being of the Mozambican people”
Citizens in Maputo and other provincial capitals have been protesting the 9 October 2024 election results, accusing the ruling Frelimo party of rigging the poll with help from the country’s electoral bodies, including the Constitutional Council, which doubles up as an electoral court during elections.
Chapo’s investiture was a low-key affair witnessed by Mozambique’s former presidents, two foreign presidents (South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa and Guinea Bissau’s Umaro Embaló), a deputy president, a scattering of prime ministers and ministers, diplomatic corps accredited in Mozambique, the newly minted members of parliament, former ministers, and businesspeople, among others.
Comment
Daniel Chapo’s inaugural speech read like a great shopping list, and it hit the right notes on corruption, downsizing government to make it more efficient, creating an internal affairs unit in the police, fighting cartels, fighting organized crime and kidnappings, among other topics.
However, netizens quickly pointed out that the speech echoed former independent presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane’s manifesto, meaning that Chapo and his advisers might have seen how Mondlane’s talking points resonated with Mozambicans, particularly the youth, and reckoned that it did not hurt adopting his ideas.
Furthermore, enunciating that such themes would be at the centre of his governance, his advisors likely thought that they will co-opt the hordes of youths in the demonstrations to turn their backs on Mondlane. Indeed, one of Chapo’s surrogates, Dércio Alfazema, hinted as much today, saying that during the protests, “people were in the streets, especially for socio-economic reasons. People want to be well governed, and the inaugural speech considers all those issues.”
Chapo could also be extending an olive leaf to Mondlane, appealing for national reconciliation and collaboration – Mondlane was quoted by the New York Times as saying that he has been in touch with Chapo through a “mutual friend”, but this has yet to be confirmed.
Strategically, using the opposition ideas could help align his government’s vision with popular sentiment, which, if successful, could help Chapo gain control of the streets.
However, the risk is that it might not help dispel suspicions that he still lacks preparation or vision, something that can be pounced upon by the very cartels he swore to tackle, and his opposition within Frelimo.
But Chapo was silent on the issue of decoupling Frelimo from the state. Frelimo’s use of state institutions has been well documented, and it seems as if there is not strong political will from within the party itself to even the playing field and relinquish undue control over state institutions.
As such, it is hard to see how Chapo will enact the reforms he swore to undertake, and whether such reforms will have the desired effect.
@2025, Mozambique Insights. All Rights Reserved
