Mozambique’s Identity “at risk of disintegration”: South Africa’s Church Leaders Warn amid Post-Election Violence

Street protests erupted before and after Mozambique’s electoral commission declared that the country’s ruling party, Frelimo, had won the October 9 presidential election, extending its 49-year hold on power.

The new opposition party Podemos and its presidential candidate, Venancio Mondlane, rejected the results that the electoral commission announced. Earlier, other opposition candidates, civil society groups, and observers said the election was marred by fraud. 

More than 130 have been reported killed in clashes with law enforcement agencies, a Reuters December 24 report indicated, citing civil society monitoring group Plataforma Decide.

On December 24, Mozambique’s Constitutional Council, the country’s top court with the final say over electoral processes, confirmed the victory of the ruling party, Frelimo, which has governed the Southern African nation since 1975.

In the four-page statement, SACC members highlight reports on the situation in the Southern African nation as CCM representatives explained during their virtual meeting.

More in Africa

Cameroon’s Catholic Bishops Convene to Deliberate on “synodality in the local context” in Annual Seminar

Read the article

They say that the representatives of the Christian leaders presented “a grim reality” of Mozambique amid the ongoing post-election violence that has left citizens confined to their homes. They reported widespread looting, arson, and violence in cities like Maputo, Beira, and Nampula.

“Over 200 people died in the mayhem of looting and the destruction of business and public property,” SACC members say, citing reports from CCM members during the meeting.

They say that CCM members also confirmed that “Warehouses, buildings, and shops were set alight, destroying reserves of staple foods in an already food-insecure country; roads were destroyed, inhibiting movement in and out of economic centers”.

SACC members are concerned that the current situation might lead to the deterioration of public safety as the violence seems to target security forces “with police officers being attacked and killed.”

“The relationship between the protesting public and the police is one characterized by mistrust and lack of respect and sometimes a dereliction of duty as the police would stand by and watch as property is destroyed,” SACC members lament. 

As a result, they say, “members of the public organized their ways of protecting themselves and their property outside of the legal and institutional frame.”

“This is exacerbated by the violence of the escaped prisoners who are feared to be targeting those individuals who were instrumental in their arrests - and this has sent a wave of fear across society,” SACC members say.

They note that the post-election violence has displaced thousands within Mozambique and driven many to seek refuge in neighboring countries, including Angola, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

SACC members are concerned about the regional instability the displacement of Mozambicans could cause and reaching out to the Southern African Development Community (SADC), they say, “While the political challenges of Mozambique are a matter of internal stability, the entire SADC region will continue to feel the impact of political instability and civil unrest in Mozambique. Therefore, there is a need to ensure the restoration of stability as a matter of urgency.”

“As such, we would further call on our government to use its influence within SADC to emphasize the urgency of the matters on the ground to the regional bloc, as a means of speeding up the interventions of SADC,” SACC members say, referring to South Africa.

(Story continues below)

In response to the humanitarian emergency, they say that SACC and CCM are mobilizing resources to address basic needs such as food and healthcare. “The broader church community stands ready to alleviate human suffering,” say SACC members.

They acknowledge recent efforts by Mozambique’s governing party and opposition to engage in dialogue, can call for continued negotiations. “While no agreement on the election results has been reached, the commitment to peaceful resolution is encouraging,” they note.

In their statement, SACC members express support for CCM’s call for national unity and reconciliation and emphasize the urgency of collective action to prioritize the needs of the people of God in Mozambique.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.