Frelimo closed many schools and public services for first week of campaign
Teachers and staff of the public administration were forced to leave their workplaces to support the Frelimo campaign last week, in the first week of the official electoral campaign. For their part, the opposition parties did not take part in the campaign in many districts.
In Cabo Delgado on Ibo Island, the District Economic and Infrastructure Services were abandoned. The staff were on the Frelimo campaign, as can be seen in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5sLQack5PQ This scenario is happening in all provinces.
In Niassa, for example, the staff of the district services and teachers are on the election campaign which has forced their normal activities to stop.
In Nampula, some schools in the town of Namapa, Eráti district, were closed due to the involvement of many teachers in the Frelimo election campaign. The directors of these schools occupy positions in the District Elections Commission and in the district STAE.
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Teachers confirm forced to abandon classes
Teachers report they must abandon their classes to boost the Frelimo campaign. In Nacarôa, Nampula, the Frelimo District Committee met with staff and, through the district administrator, threatened to fire them if they refused to take part in the Frelimo campaign. Orders have been given for them not to be marked absent. School directors were told they will be sacked if they mark as absent any staff who are working on the election campaign of the ruling party. As a result, many educational institutions are not working because their staff are on the Frelimo campaign.
Schools in the Zembe, Macate, Manica were closed on Thursday and Friday (August 29 and 30) because the teachers were receiving Esperança Bias, speaker of parliament, who headed the Frelimo central brigade visiting Macate. Pupils from primary and secondary schools in Zembe said there were no classes because of the absence of the teachers.
Pupils at Macate District Secondary School and Macate-sede Primary School said they were informed that they would not have normal classes last week because of the campaign. When CIP correspondents visited, the two schools were closed.
Some teachers in Niassa confirmed that they are obliged to abandon their classrooms to join the Frelimo campaign. According to our correspondents, many staff in other parts of the public administration were also obliged to leave their posts to participate in the Frelimo campaign. Some teachers are also being told they are on lists to be polling station staff, with training starting shortly.
In the Niassa district of Mecula, a teacher at the 16 June General Secondary School told our correspondents that the orders come from the district first secretary of the Frelimo Party: “When the district Frelimo First Secretary orders a staff member to do something and if they are not willing, they are seen as a member of the opposition and transferred to the periphery - to more remote areas where access is difficult”, this teacher denounced.
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Compulsory contributions to campaign up to $470
Throughout the country, Frelimo is obliging public servants to contribute money to support the election campaign. The sums vary from district to district. In Maganja da Costa, in Zambézia province, there is a fixed sum of 500 meticais ($8).
In Tambara, Manica, there is a formal table:
Staff member: 1,000 MT ($15)
Head of secretariat: 3,000 MT ($47)
School director: 5,000 MT ($78)
Director of district services: 12,000 MT ($190)
District Administrator: 30,000 ($470).
These sums are intended to pay allowances to the Frelimo Party monitors at the polling stations
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Threats and violence rising
After the initial days of the campaign, which were relatively calm and peaceful, our correspondents reporting an increase in threats and provocations by the Frelimo against members of the opposition. The most problematic provinces are Manica, Inhambane, Gaza and Maputo province.
Four people were injured in clashes between supporters of Frelimo and of the MDM in Chimoio, Manica. On Wednesday (28 August) one member of each party was injured in a brawl when their motorcades crossed paths during campaigning in the Josina Machel neighbourhood. In all, four people have required first aid treatment at the Chimoio Provincial Hospital, as a direct result of clashes between supporters of the political parties since the start of the election campaign in Chimoio. The other two were assaulted on 25 and 27 August. So far, the clashes in Chimoio have only been between supporters of Frelimo and of the MDM.
In Chókwe, Gaza, on Saturday (31 August) there was a clash between Frelimo and Podemos supporters. The confrontation occurred in the presence of the Frelimo local leadership, namely secretaries of Party and OJM branches. The police were apathetic. They only attempted, unsuccessfully, to ask the Frelimo members to stop the provocation.
In Magude, Gaza, Frelimo members have been following the Podemos campaign, and throwing up barriers so that they cannot continue with their political activities.
In Manica, the delegate of the CAD coalition, now representing Podemos, was threatened at his house Saturday night (31 August). His neighbours confirmed the threat.
The police in Marrupa, Niassa, on Friday (30 August) detained two members of Frelimo, accused of tearing down a Renamo flag. Members and supporters of Frelimo and Renamo had clashed after campaigning at the Utendele resettlement neighbourhood.
Unknown individuals, early on Thursday morning, burnt down the house of an MDM member in Changara-sede, Tete.
Members of the Frelimo in Tambara, Manica, are accused of burning a Renamo flag and threatening to kill anyone who opposed this act. Also in Tambara, a member of the police force has been detained, accused of vandalising Frelimo Party propaganda material.
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Increased threats in Inhambane
Young members of opposition parties, in Massinga, Funhalouro and Inhassoro districts of Inhambane, are complaining of threats from members of the Frelimo Party. Local traders are threatened that their businesses will be closed if they continue to campaign in support of Podemos and the MDM. Local musicians and public administration staff who have joined opposition parties have also been threated.
In Inhassoro, Frelimo members and supporters are threatening supporters of other parties, telling them not to campaign for the opposition. Neighbourhood and village leaders and secretaries are trying to stop the wearing of opposition T-shirts. Anyone found with opposition material is threatened with expulsion from the neighbourhood, meaning they would have to find somewhere else to live.
One young supporter of the MDM had to remove the flags of his party which he had hoisted in the Funhalouro district market, where he is a seller, after receiving threats from Frelimo.
In Inhassoro and in Massinga supporters of Podemos are denouncing recurrent harassment and threats from Frelimo, through phone calls and personally at their homes.
Frelimo in Zavala, Inhambane province, tried, unsuccessfully, to interrupt the campaign of the Podemos party by blocking a march.
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Insurgent gunfire overshadows campaign in Mocímboa da Praia
The municipality of Mocímboa da Praia suffered a night of terror when insurgents ambushed a patrol of the Rwandan police who control parts the town. The Rwandan forces responded and the shoot-out resulted in the death of a child, who was hit by a bullet.
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Podemos denounces refusal to grant its monitors credentials in Cabo Delgado
The Cabo Delgado provincial coordinator of Podemos, Assane Singano, has accused the election management bodies in some districts of refusing to grant credentials to Podemos monitors. He said this refusal is happening in Mecufi, Namuno and Metuge districts. He accuses leaders of the election management bodies using laws that have already been revoked to create difficulties in accreditation." They think the political parties don’t know the laws, but everything they do is the work of those in power to hinder the advance of democracy”, said Singano.
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MDM accuses Police of giving their activity plans to Frelimo
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Renamo and the MDM accused the district command of the police (PRM) in Búzi of providing their activity plans in the election campaign to Frelimo. Fernando Gaissa, the MDM district political delegate said that on 29 August, for example, he should have worked in Nova Sofala with his members in the areas of Thungo and Massazane. But a Frelimo brigade, after finding out the MDM agenda, went to work in the same areas. To avoid confrontation, the MDM group ended up not visiting those areas. He added that the same thing happened when the party’s presidential candidate, Lutero Simango, arrived.
The Renamo election agent, Baptista Maquiava, makes the same complaint. Because of this situation, the two parties (Renamo and the MDM) have decided that, as from today, they will no longer give their plans of activity to the police District Command.
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Continued use of state vehicles
In Bilene, Gaza, the Frelimo motorcade campaigned in the town of Macia used state cars, with number plates hidden, as shown in the video https://youtu.be/xQI3Wkay9Jo.
A government white Mahindra vehicle, without a number plate, was seen in the Frelimo campaign in Chongoene, in Gaza province.
A vehicle with the number plate ADW 709 MP, from the education sector in Vilankulo, is being used by Frelimo. In Nova Mambone, Inhambane, Frelimo is also using State vehicles for its election campaign.
In Caia, in Sofala province, Frelimo is using a car from the central regional office of the INGD, the emergencies agency, with the number plate EAC-848MP, for its election campaign.
A white car, with its number plate hidden, carried sound equipment belonging to the Tete provincial government to the rally of Frelimo presidential candidate Daniel Chapo.
In Maganja da Costa, Zambézia, the district administrator used a State-owned vehicle to visit Cabuir locality to canvas for votes.
Frelimo, in Nacala-à-Velha, Nampula, is using the district administrator’s protocol vehicle
Frelimo is using the vehicle of the Macate, Manica, district administrator.
