Maputo — Some employees of the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE), the electoral branch of the Mozambican civil service, in the northern province of Nampula, are protesting that the impending general elections are encroaching on their free time.

According to a report in the daily newsheet "Diario Independente" (DI), these employees are "aghast" at the thought of sacrificing their weekends so that the elections will run smoothly.

The normal civil service timetable is from 07.30 to 15.30, with no work on Saturdays or Sundays.

But an order from the STAE-Nampula director, Isabel Tirano, establishes that during the electoral period, STAE employees must work from 07.30 to 19.00 on weekdays, and from 08.00 to 15.00 on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Anyone who disregards the new timetable will suffer cuts in their wages, Tirano warned.

This has led to claims that Tirano is "authoritarian" and "disrespectful" to her colleagues. But Tirano retorts that the timetable is not just for Nampula, but for STAE staff throughout the country. "Employees who want to challenge this order should do so directly to the STAE general management, and not to me", she said.

"I don't see how anybody can stay at home now", she said. "We must all be working. We have to put the voting material everywhere on time, and that's what we're doing".

AIM confirmed with the STAE headquarters in Maputo that the timetable is indeed an instruction issued to all STAE offices. Furthermore, there is nothing new about it - the same lengthy hours have been demanded of STAE employees during previous elections, according to STAE press officer, Lucas Jose. The compulsory overtime is compensated for with days off after the election.

"If we all went home at 15.30 every day, there wouldn't be any elections", remarked Jose.