In Matola, the observers from the Mais Integridade (More Integrity) civil society consortium are facing difficulties in access to information about the agendas of the election campaign of the political parties, particularly Frelimo and Renamo.

On Wednesday (27 September), the observers went to the Maputo provincial headquarters of Frelimo, but the secretary rejected the observers’ credentials, and said they were not allowed to observe the activities of the party.

For its part, Renamo, through its campaign delegates, initially provided observers with information about the routes of the party’s motorcades. But as from Thursday morning (28 September), the Renamo campaign delegates began giving wrong information. For example, they told the observers that the Renamo campaign activities in Maputo would close at 12.00. However, the observers discovered that, by around 14,00, various Renamo campaign activities were continuing, for example in Liberdade and Malhampsene neighbourhoods.

The Renamo campaign delegates called observers “spies”, they have failed to answer phone calls, and they have given false information about their campaign. Recently, they gave wrong information about the route that the party’s mayoral candidate for Matola would follow, so that the observers would not be able to follow.

The other parties competing in Maputo province, New Democracy and the MDM, have maintained an attitude of openness towards the observers.

But In Guruè, Zambézia, New Democracy and Renamo are not allowing observers to follow the campaign activities.