Maputo — Mozambique's main opposition party, the former rebel movement Renamo, on Wednesday accused the ruling Frelimo party of instructing hoteliers to deny rooms or meals to Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama and his election campaign team.

At a Maputo press conference, the Renamo national spokesperson, Fernando Mazanga, alleged that Frelimo's control over the hospitality industry was such that all the hotels and pensions in the north of the country where Dhlakama has been campaigned were told "not to sell food or rent rooms" to him.

This story is rather familiar. In May, Mazanga gave a similar excuse to explain the postponement of the Renamo Congress, originally scheduled for 1-3 June in the northern city of Nampula.

He claimed that Frelimo had booked all the available rooms in Nampula, so that Renamo could not hold its meeting. Not only did Frelimo promptly deny this, but when journalists checked with the main Nampula hotels, they found that Renamo had never tried to book any rooms or conference halls.

The two largest hotels in Nampula told reporters they had facilities available for the first week of June, and anyone willing to pay could book them.

AIM pointed out that Mazanga's claim about Frelimo giving orders to the hotels was proved to be false in June, so why should we believe a similar claim now? Mazanga refused to reply, and did not name any of the hotels or pensions which had allegedly received orders not to provide services to Dhlakama.

Mazanga also denounced three leaders of minor parties - Yaqub Sibindy of the Independent Party of Mozambique (PIMO), Miguel Mabote of the Labour Party (PT), and Joao Massango of the Ecologist Party (PEC-MT) - who have publicly declared their support for the Frelimo presidential candidate, Armando Guebuza, in his drive for re-election.

The three had "capitulated" to Frelimo, he accused. "For a long time", he said, "they have deceived the Mozambican people by claiming to be an opposition. In fact, they only oppose the real opposition, which is Renamo".

In recent weeks, Mazanga has made some blood curdling speeches, saying that Renamo would react to alleged Frelimo "provocations" on the principle of "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth". This is in sharp contrast to the position of the head of the Renamo election office, Luis Gouveia, who has urged Renamo members not to respond to provocations.

Asked which is the true Renamo position, Mazanga retreated. "Our policy is not to respond to violence", he said. "We have followed the biblical injunction to turn the other cheek. But all our cheeks have been battered, and now we say - that's enough!"