A ‘national strike’ is threatened as Mozambique’s next president takes office on Wednesday, more than three months after a disputed election.
Daniel Chapo, 48, received 65% of the votes in the poll. Opposition leaders, election observers and the general public said it was rigged..
The result has sparked a wave of protests, some peaceful but others violent, leading to chaos, including killings and vandalism.
Chapo’s biggest rival is Venâncio Mondlane. Last week he returned from self-imposed exile. He said he spent time in South Africa, where he survived an assassination attempt.
He is now calling on Mozambicans to take to the streets once again “against the thieves of the people” on Inauguration Day.
Mozambique’s main opposition parties, Renamo and MDM, said they would boycott Wednesday’s swearing-in ceremony because they too do not recognize Chapo as the rightful winner.
Even Mozambicans who wish the president-elect well are openly questioning his legitimacy.
“Chapo is someone I have great respect for,” civil society activist Mirna Chitsungo told the BBC.
“I worked with him for four years. I know his willingness to take action, his openness to dialogue and his willingness to follow the recommendations of civil society on the ground.
“But he is seizing power illegally. This comes from election fraud… He is holding power in a situation where the people do not accept him.”
‘He will face many enemies’
In addition to winning over a hostile public, Chapo must deliver the economic recovery and halt to corruption he promised on the campaign trail.
“Chapo will face many enemies because he appears to be a Mozambican-run cartel, including book cartels, drug cartels, sugar cartels, drug cartels, kidnapping cartels and mafia groups,” said analyst and investigative journalist Luis Nhanchote.
“He needs a strong team of experts willing to join this campaign to meticulously dismantle the group,” he added.
“But first he must do his best to calm the Mozambican people and restore peace to the country.”
Daniel Francisco Chapo was born on January 6, 1977 in Iñaminga, Sofala Province, the sixth of 10 children. This was the time of the civil war in Mozambique, and the armed conflict forced his family to move to other areas nearby.
After graduating from secondary school in the coastal city of Beira, he earned a law degree from Eduardo Mondlane University and a master’s degree in development management from the Catholic University of Mozambique.
Chapo, who is currently married to Gueta Sulemane Chapo and has three children, is also known as a church-going Christian and a lover of basketball and soccer.
Many current and former colleagues describe Chapo as a humble, hard-working and patient leader.
Before becoming the ruling Frelimo party’s presidential candidate, he worked as a radio and TV presenter, legal notary, university lecturer, and provincial governor before rising to the position of Secretary-General of Frelimo.
At a recent birthday celebration, Chapo himself acknowledged the difficult challenges awaiting him as president.
“We need to restore the country economically. Destroying is easy, but building is not.”
He said national reconciliation, creating more jobs, reforming electoral laws and decentralizing power were top of his agenda.
But how successful can he be without a country behind him?
At least he will demonstrate a change in President Felipe Nyusi that will please many Mozambicans.
“Chapo is a man of dialogue and agreement, not a man who perpetuates Nyusi’s violent governing style. He has the potential to negotiate with Mondlane.
“Even if Chapo cannot fully meet all of Mondlane’s requirements, we believe he will be able to meet at least 50% of them,” adds Mr. Chitsungo.
Mondlane, a part-time pastor and independent candidate who claims he is the real winner of the polls, is said to be taking shelter in a hotel in the capital. It is not known what security protection he receives there or who pays for it.
He claims he was touring a Maputo market last week when a nearby vendor was shot. It reflects the murder of two of his associates last October..
As a leader of nationwide protests against the disputed election results, he has come to be seen by many as a voice for the voiceless. But the president-elect’s camp is not publicly engaging him at this time.
Nonetheless, listening to public complaints and demands and sometimes ignoring orders from the ruling Frelimo party will be key to Chapo’s success, analysts told the BBC.
Finding a way to communicate constructively with Mondlane would undoubtedly be helpful.
To win over the public, Nhachote argues, Chapo may have to reject “exorbitant salaries for the elite and fringe benefits, some of which are 10 times higher than Mozambique’s minimum wage.”
Moreover, if Chapo is to have any chance of ending the wider political crisis, he will need the support of others to achieve lasting, structural change, argues prominent clergy pastor Anastacio Chembeze.
“Perhaps we need to remain skeptical in order to solve Mozambique’s challenges. Change must start within the system itself.
“We must strive for separation of powers within state institutions, international monopolies have great interests in the state, and there are serious ethical issues within the political elite that must be addressed.”
Upon arriving at the office, Chapo was advised to fire police chief Bernardino Rafael, analysts told the BBC. Although he has denied any wrongdoing, he is seen by some as the mastermind behind the brutal response to post-election protests.
They say they want him replaced by a successor who “respects human rights” and follows legal and international standards. Another proposal touted by analysts is to bring in a new attorney general.
In particular, Chapo becomes the first president of Mozambique who did not participate in the War of Independence.
“He is part of a new generation. Some of his backgrounds are completely different from his predecessors. He was born in a country liberated by his predecessors,” Nhachote said.
“If he wants to make a real mark on history, he needs to challenge the icons of the past. If he can’t manage that, I’m sure he’ll only run for one term.”
You may also be interested in:
