If it wants to be on the right side of history rather than the historical side of righteousness, South Africa needs to return democracy to the centre of its international relations and understand that this is the only way to secure regional stability and economic progress.

Listen to this article 8 min Listen to this article 8 min A video widely circulated on social media shows troops in uniforms strikingly similar to those of the Rwandan military in Maputo being challenged by citizens who ask them why none of them speaks a local language.

Rwanda has, of course, denied this, stating that all its troops are deployed in the Cabo Delgado region. To admit otherwise would be deeply embarrassing for the Frelimo government of President Daniel Chapo, the successor to the hapless Filipe Nyusi.

It was notable that in May this year, as the election campaign got going, Rwanda deployed a further 2,500 troops in Mozambique, ostensibly to bolster the fight against terrorism in the northern provinces.

Nothing better illustrates the weakness of the Mozambican state than its reliance on Rwanda - or the foreign force wearing similar camo - for its national security.

The collapse of governance and the openly corrupt feeding frenzy under Nyusi is precisely why Mozambicans turned up in their numbers to vote out Frelimo in the recent election.

Despite parallel poll tallying by the opposition showing a victory for the Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos), and opposition...