The National Electoral Commission (CNE) announced this Thursday (24) that Daniel Chapo, candidate of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo), won the presidential elections on 9 October 2024 with 70.67% of the vote. Venâncio Mondlane came second in the race, with 20.32 per cent of the vote, his best result in Maputo City and ahead of his former party, Renamo, which ended these elections with its worst ever vote in an election, with 5.81 per cent of the vote.
According to the CNE, Venâncio Mondlane won 1,412,511 votes, corresponding to 20.32 per cent, followed by Ossufo Momade, with 403,591 votes (5.81 per cent), and Lutero Simango, who obtained 223,065 votes, 3.21 per cent of the total.
Chapo succeeds Filipe Nyusi and becomes the fifth Mozambican President in what are the country’s seventh general elections.
However, despite the official announcement, the results are not yet final, as the Constitutional Council will have to validate them after analysing ongoing legal proceedings that could influence the final tally. Bishop Carlos Matsinhe, president of the National Electoral Commission (CNE), emphasised that ‘there are legal proceedings underway that need to be carefully analysed before the final results are confirmed’.
Chapo and Frelimo won in all provinces. Mondlane achieved the best result in Maputo
The official results presented by the CNE show that Chapo won a significant margin of votes in several provinces. In Maputo city, the Frelimo candidate won 53.68 per cent, while Mondlane came second with 33.84 per cent. Ossufo Momade followed with 9.62 per cent and Lutero Simango, from the MDM, got 2.86 per cent.
In Maputo province, Chapo won a resounding victory with 68.02%, followed by Mondlane, who got 27.04%. Momade and Simango got 2.5% and 2.45% respectively.
Gaza proved to be a stronghold for Chapo, who won 84.59% of the vote, while Mondlane got 11.47%. Momade and Simango had modest results, with 1.61 per cent and 2.33 per cent.
In Inhambane province, Chapo also emerged victorious, with 73.16%, followed by Mondlane with 19.86%. Momade and Simango got 3.68% and 3.31%.
In Sofala province, Chapo won 65.54 per cent of the vote, followed by Mondlane with 24.27 per cent. Momade got 3.25 per cent and Simango, 6.94 per cent.
In Manica, the FRELIMO candidate won 66.71% of the vote, ahead of Mondlane, who got 24.65%. Momade registered 6% and Simango 2.64%.
In Tete province, Chapo won with 84.42% of the vote, followed by Mondlane with 10.84%. Momade had 2.91% and Simango 1.83%.
In Zambézia, Chapo won 73 per cent of the vote, followed by Mondlane with 14.17 per cent. Momade and Simango got 9.82 per cent and 3 per cent respectively.
In Nampula, Chapo won with 59.58% of the vote, followed by Mondlane with 25.59%. Momade got 11.17 per cent and Simango 3.67 per cent.
In Cabo Delgado province, Chapo won 65.81 per cent, ahead of Mondlane with 22.64 per cent. Momade got 7.56 per cent and Simango 3.99 per cent.
In Niassa, Chapo won 68.95 per cent, followed by Mondlane with 18.51 per cent. Momade had 8.95 per cent and Simango 3.59 per cent.
Among diaspora voters in Africa, Chapo also had a clear victory, with 89.16% of the vote, followed by Mondlane with 6.24%, Momade with 2.05% and Simango with 2.55%.
In the diaspora vote, Chapo won 50.46 per cent, with Mondlane close behind with 47.8 per cent. Momade and Simango got 1.01% and 0.72% respectively.
Contests and Preliminary Results
The opposition, led by Venâncio Mondlane of the Podemos coalition and Ossufo Momade of Renamo, contested the preliminary results, alleging fraud and irregularities in the electoral process. These accusations emerged during the initial phase of the release of the results, raising concerns about the transparency of the process. Mondlane said that the ‘release of the results by the CNE does not correspond to the reality observed in the polling stations’.
Text: Felisberto Ruco
