Elias Dhlakama, the brother of the late Mozambican opposition leader, Afonso Dhlakama, on Thursday warned of violence should the Constitutional Council fail to resolve
“We’re still marching for good but where man’s intelligence ends, what will emerge is violence. And we don’t want violence. But ultimately, if the Constitutional Council doesn’t resolve this problem for good, it could culminate in a never seen before violence,” said Dhlakama, at a rally in Quelimane city, in the central Zambézia province, adding that the opposition Renamo will continue marching until what the party calls “electoral truth” is restored.
The rally took place a day after the Constitutional Court (CC), which doubles up as an electoral court during an election cycle, had ordered the National Election Commission (CNE) to deliver the results sheets for ten municipalities where the outcome has been protested by Renamo.
However, the CNE did not have the results sheets, prompting its chairperson, Anglican Bishop, Dom Carlos Matsinhe, to ask the CC for a 48-hour extension as he ordered the Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE) to deliver the said results sheets.
Also present at the rally was Geraldo Carvalho, the head of the defeated Renamo’s list in Beira, in the central province of Sofala, which was the only municipality of 65 that the electoral bodies considered the opposition Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) won.
Comment
Things are likely to come to a head if the climate of politically-motivated violence continues to fester. Although Renamo leader Ossufo Momade said that he would avoid armed violence, Elias Dhlakama’s statement may indicate otherwise.
Indeed, violence is already a fact. The police have been brutally cracking down on protesters and bans demonstrations without any constitutional coverage. Practically, the constitution has been suspended and the state has been repressing demonstrators, and persecuting opposition politicians. Paulo Vahanle, the incumbent mayor of Nampula city, in northern Mozambique, has been accused of “inciting violence,” and a disc jockey was detained in the town of Macia, in Gaza province, simply for playing the heat song “Trufafá”, played in Renamo marches and rallies, at a public event.
Dissenting academics and opposition politicians receive death threats because of their stances and public statements on the fraudulent elections.
Perhaps, Renamo wishes to send a message to the powers that be that enough is enough?
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