Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo)
24 October 2009
Maputo — "It is not with envy or with theft that poverty can be beaten, but with hard work", declared Mozambican President Armando Guebuza on Friday.
Addressing an election rally in the town of Buzi, in the central province of Sofala, Guebuza warned that those who do not work, but live off the sweat of others, are criminals.
He insisted that Mozambicans are capable of the work required to eradicate poverty. "Nobody should convince us that we are incapable", he said. "We have already done much, and we are doing more. So we shall continue the fight against poverty, but we must change our attitude and believe that we can do away with poverty".
This was a task for everyone, he insisted - every Mozambican citizen should be concerned to do something that would help eliminate his or her poverty.
Guebuza also addressed the problem of people taking the law into their own hands and forming lynch mobs. Crime was a serious problem, but it could not be dealt with in this way, he warned.
"This kind of justice does not help solve problems - it merely increases hatred", said Guebuza who insisted that the police and the courts must be allowed to do their jobs.
Other people who spoke at the rally praised Guebuza's government for re-establishing the ferry service between Buzi and Beira, and for extending the national electricity grid in the district.
Local traditional leaders also addressed the gathering and urged the Buzi electorate to vote for Guebuza "because he has already shown that he is capable of directing the destinies of this country".
The campaign is now in its final stages. On Saturday, Guebuza is speaking in Mocuba, in the central province of Zambezia, and on Sunday he winds up his campaign in Nampula, the most populous of the 11 provincial constituencies.
Guebuza's two rivals, Afonso Dhlakama, leader of the main opposition party, Renamo, and Daviz Simango, leader of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), both plan to end their campaigns with rallies in Beira.
No campaigning is allowed on Monday and Tuesday, to give the voters two quiet days to make up their minds before casting their ballots on Wednesday.
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