Several dozen nurses marched on Thursday, June 4, through the streets of Maputo to protest the delay in ratifying the election results of the Mozambican Nurses Association, demanding the immediate inauguration of the elected president and threatening to take the matter to court if the impasse persists, the Lusa news agency reported.
The demonstration, organized by the National Association of Nurses of Mozambique (ANEMO) and the Association of Midwives of Mozambique (APARMO), took place under police escort and brought together participants armed with leaflets, vuvuzelas, whistles, and protest chants, marching from the Ministry of Health to the Order’s headquarters.
According to ANEMO President Raul Piloto, the professionals believe that the electoral process has already produced a legitimate winner and that the failure to swear in the elected board represents an unjustified obstruction of the institution’s operations.
The leader stated that the profession feels compelled to pursue other avenues, including legal action, if there is no progress in formalizing the elected board. “They’ve already trampled on everything that’s legal. Everyone is watching, and so far, nothing is being done. In principle, we’ll take it to court so the elected board can take office. It wasn’t necessary, but we’ll have to do it, because we’re seeing that there’s no willingness for this to happen peacefully,” Raul Piloto declared during the march.
The representative added that, in his view, the situation reflects a disregard for the will expressed by nurses at the polls. “We even organized a march because we’re seeing that in Mozambique, it’s not enough just to win elections; it seems we also have to fight for our rights,” he said.
The professionals note that Jeremias Matecateca won the second round of voting held on April 9, with about 57% of the votes, after the first election was annulled, in which the same candidate had already secured a majority.
The Nurses’ Association had even issued a statement confirming the provisional victory, but the ratification of the final results and the inauguration were suspended following injunctions filed in court.
Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, the protesters are criticizing the slowness of the process and accusing the Association’s current leadership of trying to cling to power.
During the protest, the president-elect, Jeremias Matecateca, joined the professionals and advocated for the use of all legal mechanisms to ensure the leadership transition. “We will use all available resources so that the legitimate winners can take office,” he stated.
The march ended without incident, with organizers reiterating that they may intensify protest actions, including extending their demands to the Ministry of Health, if the situation is not resolved.
