Mnangagwa Misses Chapo Inauguration

Zimbabwe’s Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri is set to represent President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the inauguration of Mozambique President-Elect Cde Daniel Chapo in Maputo today.

Mnangagwa will remain hand-wringing at home or his farm on his annual leave as the current Southern African Development Community (Sadc) chairperson – weak and compromised by his undiplomatic indecent haste to endorse Chapo before official results were announced; an unconstitutional conduct.

Mozambique is gripped by deadly post-election violence and chaos its after disputed results of the 9 October 2024 polls.

Instead of playing a critical role in the inauguration today and resolving the crisis as Sadc chairperson, Mnangagwa has been reduced to a bystander as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa takes charge of the situation.

The inauguration will happen under a cloud of political tensions and uncertainty.

The streets of Maputo were deserted on Monday when Mozambique swore in its new parliament.

Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane had called for a three-day strike to protest the results of disputed elections.

Mondlane, who returned home last week to an overwhelming reception, has seized control of the streets since the disputed polls amid conflict which has left more than 300 people dead and massive destruction of property.

After his lawyer and opposition Podemos candidate were killed on 19 October 2024 and him surviving an assassination attempt, Mondlane fled to South Africa.

His return last week sparked renewed furious confrontations between his militant supporters and police in the capital.

Ahead of today’s inauguration, he called for three days of protests.

Two smaller opposition parties boycotted parliament swearing in opening ceremony, saying they did not accept results of the October election.

Chapo has called for calm and unity after months of unrest, while outgoing President Filipe Nyusi has been trying to initiate dialogue to end the political upheaval.

However, Mondlane insists he tgat was robbed of victory in elections in which Chapo got 65%, ensuring Frelimo stays in power for half a century.

Mondlane got only 24% of the vote.

He blamed electoral fraud and voter manipulation for the loss.

Mondlane rejected Chapo’s disputed victory as a fraud, triggering a wave of violence, death and destruction, sending political tremors across the region.

As Mondlane arrived from exile in South Africa last week like a knight in shining armour, a critical national dialogue opened at the Presidential Palace in Maputo, the Mozambican capital, with political parties and civil society participating to find a solution to the post-electoral conflict that has shaken the country to its foundations for months now.

The crucial talks were attended by representatives of major political parties, including thw ruling Frelimo and Renamo, Podemos, MDM, and Nova Democracia, in a bid to find a lasting inclusive, lasting and sustainable solution to the crisis.

Nyusi said there was an urgent need for a comprehensive and inclusive approach to resolve the electoral dispute.

Nyusi said: “We need to find a solution that covers all Mozambicans. We need to find a space for the participation of society so that it is not a matter discussed by a group of people and that people feel excluded in this process.”

Ramaphosa says he is closely monitoring the deteriorating situation in Mozambique.

Pretoria is frantically involved in trying to find a settlement in Mozambique, with Foreign minister Ronald Lamola deeply engaged on the issue.

South Africa has deep economic interests in Mozambique and thus a vested interest in its affairs, just like Zimbabwe.

Zanu PF and Frelimo have close ties dating back to the 1970s liberation struggle.

Mozambique helped liberate Zimbabwe.Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has said the crisis in Mozambique is badly affecting regional economic and trade activities, destabilising Sadc.

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who currently the Sadc troika of the organ on politics, defence and security co-operation chairperson, has also expressed concern, urging the parties and stakeholders in Mozambique to find a solution.

The raging deadly conflict has disrupted economic and trade activities, particularly freight transportation, internally in Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.

Zimbabwe, which relies 70% on the Beira Corridor for its imports and exports, is one of the worst affected.

The Beira corridor guarantees energy security to Zimbabwe as its main fuel supply route and one of the main supply routes for fuel in transit to Zambia, Malawi and the Congolese region of Katanga.

However, Mnangagwa, beyond issuing an inconsequential statement as Sadc chair and partisan involvement, has dismally failed to get on top of the burning situation, leaving Ramaphosa to take control, particularly because he has compromised himself through partisan and poor diplomacy.

Before elections, Chapo visited Mnangagwa in Harare to exchange notes and get material assistance.

In a desperate bid to create a fait accompli, the Zimbabwean leader even congratulated Chapo before official results were announced, practically declaring him the winner, which is unlawful and a diplomatic abomination.

As the situation deteriorated amid the shock defeat of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party, in power for 58 years, by President Duma Boko’s Umbrella for Democratic Change, and the rise of the opposition and retreat of former liberation movements across the region, Mnangagwa called for a Sadc extraordinary summit in Harare in November last year to tackle the Mozambican crisis.

However, in the end the meeting focused on the Democratic Republic of Congo after Nyusi and Mozambicans indicated the case was still going through the Constitutional Council which eventually ruled in favour of Chapo, albeit with a reduced victory margin and mandate , almost confirming the fraud Mondlane is raising hell over.

As Chapo gets inaugurated, Mondlane upping the ante, further exposing Mnangagwa’s incompetence as Sadc chair and Sadc impotence amid lack of capacity in the face of a serious political and security situation in the gas-rich nation and region.