Mozambique’s ruling Frelimo party is meeting on Friday on the first of a two-day meeting of its Central Committee, in what promises to be an important
Frelimo events are usually a joyous occasion, with members affording comraderie to each other. But as the session started, it was clear from the tense faces that comraderie was the last thing on people’s minds.
It did not help that ahead of the meeting, Filipe Nyusi spoke of enemies and intruders within Frelimo who he said wished to “weaken and besmirch Frelimo’s name”, with the goal of destroying Frelimo.
It also did not help that ahead of the meeting, that there have been purges of members seen overly antagonistic to Nyusi or anyone in his clique, which took place under the radar.
Observers say that what drives the tension is the issue of Nyusi’s succession. Unfortunately, there is no debate, only conversations in cafés – a debate would presuppose some sort of transparency, with a ser of rules and criteria.
Mozambique Insights understands that the whole talk of a third term might be a Machiavellian strategy prepared by Nyusi and his close-knit group to muddy the succession process and producing someone who can protect him, his interests, family and schemes he might have set for life after the presidency.
The strategy would setting-up smokescreen to distract society and those vying for presidential power, while the “chosen one” is marching unhindered.
Those who were expecting to see the issue of succession on the agenda will be disappointed – observers say Frelimo never places the succession issue as an item of agenda. The agenda is full of presentations and debates of documents on the performance of government, municipalities, its next five-year plan, among others.
Delaying debate on succession and cracking down on internal opposition, shows how important it is for Nyusi to ensure that his successor is someone of his inner circle capable of assuring him and his family protection from prosecution.
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