General Elections 61 – 29 September 2019
Ossufo Momade’s car was stoned by Frelimo supporters in Tete and Daviz Simango’s car was blocked and he was not allowed to speak in Inhambane, as Frelimo supporters for the first time physically attacked opposition presidential candidates.
In an already increasingly aggressive campaign, intimidation and provocation among members and supporters of competing parties has been occurring at local level, but this was an escalation of the violence. In both cases there were no riots because opposition candidates appealed to their supporters not to respond to the provocation with violence. But can calm be maintained?
Frelimo members and supporters threw stones that hit the vehicle carrying Renamo presidential candidate Ossufo Momade at Domwe, Angonia, Tete. “Although they did not hit the glass, the stones were a potential threat to Momade’s life,” the government news agency (AIM 27 September) wrote. AIM adds that Momade’s wife, who was also in the car, was “visibly shaken by the incident.”
The stones were thrown from Frelimo headquarters in Domwe and AIM reports that Renamo members wanted to invade the headquarters but were calmed by the party leadership. Police had to fire shots in the air to disperse Frelimo members and control the situation.
Then on Friday, Frelimo members prevented campaigning by the MDM presidential candidate, Daviz Simango. AIM (28 September) reports that in Vila Fanca do Save, Inhambane, “Simango was speaking to MDM supporters when a small Frelimo group, in full view of the cameras of the independent television station STV, began to make loud noises with the plastic horns known as vuvuzelas. There was no police protection for Simango, who decided that the best option was to head for the next stop on his tour of Inhambane, which was Vila Mambone, the capital of Govuro district. He was pursued by cars flying Frelimo flags, obliging him to make unscheduled stops on the journey. In Vila Mambone, the police were present and avoided any clash between Frelimo and MDM supporters.”
This followed a similar incident on Wednesday (25 September, armed forces day) when Simango was campaigning in Vilankulo. He was heading toward the central market at 14.00 when he was blocked by Frelimo members and supporters in Mozambican Heroes’ Square. With no police protection or large backing, Daviz Simango opted to give up campaigning and left for Belane.
The silence of the Frelimo leadership and of the National Elections Commission in the face of violence will be seen by some Frelimo members as approving of these practices and encouraging Frelimo members to continue bullying.
In the 2014 campaign, the major case of electoral violence occurred in Gaza province when Frelimo members and supporters blocked Daviz Simango’s cars, forcing the MDM candidate’s personal security to react with violence that resulted in injuries and destruction of equipment.
Will the opposition feel that it can only campaign with large groups of supporters to defend itself against Frelimo?
