The country is burning and there were no firefighters available. Mozambique is a country out of control, with the symptoms of a collapsed state. The Frelimo elites had accumulated so much wealth over all these years, corroding the state from within, but they had forgotten to invest in their own protection, writes Marcelo Mossse, editor of Carta de Moçambique. He argues "not everything in Frelimo is rubbish. The party is full of good people with good intentions, and many of them have had no space to assert themselves since the emergence from the stomach-churning self-esteem of Guebuzismo to the corrupt autocracy of Nyussismo."
This is one of two papers written by important thinkers and posted this weekend. They recognise the speed with which demonstrations have grown and become more violent. And it shows that the crisis cannot be solved through what it called "an elite bargain" where the top people make a deal. Young people are demanding to be listened to, and have seen they have the power to force change. The two papers are written in Portuguese for a local audience but we think they are important and have translated them into English. They are on https://bit.ly/Moz-El-Mos-Ngo
"The demonstrations reveal a feeling of distrust and discontent with the electoral institutions, but the slogans that emerge on the roads, markets, schools and hospitals reveal something even deeper. On the one hand, they express intense nationalism, an emotional attachment to the country - evident in the anthems that send shivers down the spine - and pride in being Mozambican. On the other hand, they show a structural clamour against the elitism of the current model of economic governance, which is at odds with the citizens' aspirations for justice and equity, write Severino Ngoenha & Augusto Hunguana. Severino Ngoenha is Rector of the Technical University of Mozambique and one of the most prominent political thinkers. Augusto Hunguana is a Supreme Court Judge.
They argue that "the moment demands urgency. Mozambique is facing a political and social fire that needs to be contained before it completely consumes the national fabric. Just as firefighters give priority to saving lives and putting out the fire before looking for culprits, we must also focus on stabilising the country before getting lost in accusations or reciprocal disputes." And there must be an agreed solution before the Constitutional Council declared the results in two weeks.
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And they conclude "The peace of the brave in Mozambique can only be built when leaders realise that the well-being of millions of vulnerable Mozambicans depends on their courage to engage in dialogue in order to build the future together. It's time for Mozambique to stop looking back with resentment and start looking forward with responsibility."
Both papers are only in Portuguese but we have translated them to English.
