Maputo — Former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano never claimed that the independent presidential candidate, Venancio Mondlane, poses a challenge to the ruling Frelimo Party.
The latest piece of disinformation circulating on Mozambican social media alleges that Chissano warned that Mondlane is "the first Mozambican to give Frelimo a headache'.
The former president is supposed to have described Mondlane as "extremely intelligent and dedicated'.
This had caused concerns among Frelimo, because Mondlane's strategic capacity had posed unprecedented challenges. These claims, put into Chissano's mouth, circulated widely on Facebook WhatsApp and other social media.
The only problem is that Chissano never said it. "MISA-Check', the fact-checking department of the Mozambican chapter of the regional press freedom body, MISA (Media Institute of Southern Africa) investigated the claim and found that the former president never made any such statement.
On the contrary, Chissano has been outspoken in his support for the Frelimo presidential candidate, Daniel Chapo, who last week visited the Chissano family at their home in the village of Malehice, in the southern province of Gaza. Chissano even joined Chapo on the campaign trail.
Furthermore, the original claim is dated 9 May. It mentions the support given by the extra-parliamentary party Podemos to Mondlane. But on 9 May, Mondlane was still a member of the main opposition party, Renamo. He did not resign from Renamo until later in May, after the Renamo leadership barred him from the party's congress held in the central municipality of Alto Molocue.
MISA also checked the photo of Chissano published alongside the false claim, and found that it is not from this year at all. The photo was taken in October 2023, shortly after Chissano had cast his vote in the municipal elections.
MISA notes that this is not the first time that a senior member of Frelimo has allegedly supported Venancio Mondlane. In August, Graca Machel, the widow of the country's first president, Samora Machel, was falsely cited as declaring that Mondlane "is the only serious candidate' in the presidential election.
This claim also spread across social media, obliging Graca Machel to issue a formal denial.
