The president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, has declared in Cape Town that he was willing to help Mozambique end the post-election political crisis with the help of the Southern African regional bloc.
“We are closely monitoring what is happening in Mozambique and obviously Mozambique is a country that is very close to us, it is a very good trading partner and a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC),” the head of state contextualised to journalists on Thursday.
Ramaphosa said that SADC member states are ready and willing to give Mozambique the “much-needed support” so that it can emerge from the current political challenges it has been facing since the 9 October elections.
The inauguration of Daniel Chapo, the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo) candidate elected president, is on 15 January and Ramaphosa said that he will only attend depending on the “programme of activities”, although historically the two countries have always attended each other’s inaugurations, he explained.
“We hope that the 15th goes well and Mozambique has our deep support,” he concluded.
On 23 December, the Constitutional Council (CC) proclaimed Daniel Chapo, supported by ruling Frelimo, as the winner of the election for the presidency, with 65.17% of the vote, as well as the victory of Frelimo, which retained its parliamentary majority, in the general elections on 9 October.
The results are being contested on the streets and the CC’s announcement has added to the chaos that the country has been experiencing since October, with pro-Venâncio Mondlane demonstrators – a candidate who according to the CC only received 24% of the vote, but who claims victory – in protests demanding the ‘restoration of electoral truth’, with barricades, looting and clashes with the police, who have been firing shots in an attempt to demobilise them.
These clashes have led to almost 300 deaths and more than 600 people being shot and injured, according to civil society organisations monitoring the process.
Lusa