The ruling Frelimo party’s Verification Committee has reversed a rebuke by its Political Commission on Castigo Langa, a member of its Central Committee.
Ahead of Frelimo’s congress last September, the Poliical Commission issued a statement saying that it regrated and “vehemently repudiates the attitude of comrade Castigo Langa, a member of the Central Committee, in having raised, during the second extraordinary session of the Central Committee and item outside the approved agenda”.
The item “outside the approved agenda” was Langa’s reading a letter asking President Filipe Nyusi not to stand for a third term as President of the Republic, warning him of “unpredictable consequences for the country” if he accepted to run for a third term – Mozambique’s constitution only allows for two presidential terms.
To compound matters, party stuff circulated Langa’s letter on social media, a move which was also criticised by the Political Commission.
But almost six months later, the party’s Verification Committee, which ensures that Frelimo’s acts are in strict observance of its own statutes and by-rules, cleared Langa. Indeed, Langa has been present in all the sessions of the Central Committee, meeting on 24 and 25 March, in Matola, in the outskirts of Maputo.
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Langa served as Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, and at the time, observers thought that the Political Commission had gone beyond its remit by rebuking him, leading to him being escorted out of the plenary.
The move by the Political Commission was viewed as an attempt by President Filipe Nyusi to discourage any succession talks – constitutionally, Nyusi is to step down in January 2025. However, since there have been rumours that he might seek a third term, Frelimo would rather the issue of succession is dealt with once and for all.
But Nyusi seems to have learnt the lesson from President Armando Guebuza, who let the matter of succession simmer until a year away from his stepping-down as president.#
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