Mozambique Political Process Bulletin

2008 Local Election Issue 2 – 6 November 2008
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Published frequently during the election period
Editor: Joseph Hanlon (j.hanlon@open.ac.uk) – Deputy editor: Adriano Nuvunga
Published by AWEPA, the European Parliamentarians for Africa, and CIP, Centro de Integridade Pública
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Mostly calm, but also shots and arrests


The first two days of official campaigning passed largely normally, with rallies, parades and political posters plastered all over many cities. But at least one person has been shot and several people – including one candidate – arrested. There are complaints of widespread use of government cars for the campaign.


The formal campaign period is 4-16 November. No campaigning is permitted on 17 or 18 November, and voting takes place on 19 November.


Posters and shots


An ongoing complaint over several elections has been the tearing down of posters of other parties, which is explicitly prohibited in the election law. The year, police are taking the offence more seriously. In Beira police shot two people pulling down Frelimo posters, according to the independent daily O Pais. One remains in hospital. Seven other people were arrested.


Arrests were made in Mocimboa da Praia, Monapo, Marromeu, Gondola and Chimoio for tearing down posters. Some appear to be Frelimo members and some Renamo. Eight people, four from Frelimo and four Renamo, were arrested after a punch-up in Gondola.


Renamo members putting up posters in Macia and Tete complained of being attached by Frelimo sympathisers; one people was hospitalised. Frelimo supporters in Dondo said they were attacked by Renamo.


Renamo candidate arrested


Saramento Malombe, Renamo candidate for mayor of Manjacase, was arrested on 31 October on charges of having a false the signature on a residence document. The Renamo delegate for Gaza, Bento Mavie, told our correspondent, Carlos Mhula, that initially the neighbourhood dynamising group had caused problems, but these were resolved. Mavie's explanation is complex, but it appears that when Malombe moved from one neighbourhood to another, it Saramento Malombe's father was the "traditional authority" who should sign the document attesting to the move. It seems that, as the father is illiterate, the son has normally signed documents in his father’s name, and thus Saramento signed his own residence document. This has now been challenged.


Using state cars


Our correspondents report widespread use of state vehicles by candidates – mostly Frelimo (who currently control most municipalities and thus have access to the cars) but also in some cases Renamo. Examples have been reported in Xai-Xai (where the registration number was covered with paper), Nacala, Moatize, Chokwe, Dondo, Marrupa, and Inhambane.