20100104
ALLAFRICA

Maputo — Mozambique's main opposition party, the former rebel movement Renamo, has appointed its former provincial delegate in the central province of Sofala, Fernando Mbararano, as head of the party's information department.

Cited on Mozambican Television (TVM), Renamo general secretary Ossufo Momade denied that the move had anything to do with the party's disastrously poor showing in Sofala in the 28 October general elections.

Sofala used to be a Renamo stronghold, but in October its vote collapsed. Renamo was beaten not only by the ruling Frelimo Party but by the breakaway Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), founded by the Mayor of Beira, Daviz Simango, who was expelled from Renamo in September 2008.

Far from blaming this collapse on Mbararano, Momade declared "he worked very well", and that the Sofala results had nothing to do with his performance. Since Mbararano was being moved from a provincial position to a national one, the change was actually a promotion, he added.

Manuel Bissopo, Renamo delegate in Beira, will now hold the job of Sofala provincial delegate as well, on an interim basis.

"Political life is not static", said Momade. "We are undergoing constant growth and we need to inject new strength into many sectors to face the current situation".

The real reason Renamo had lost in Sofala was fraud, Momade claimed, echoing the standard excuse for defeat made by the party's leader Afonso Dhlakama. Claims of fraud, however, hardly explain why Renamo came, not second, but third - unless Momade wants us to believe that the MDM is part of the fraud.

According to a report in the Maputo daily "Noticias", Renamo has also sacked the head of its defence and security sector, Jose Machava, replacing him with another former guerrilla from the war of destabilisation, Manuel Antonio (not to be confused with the former Interior Minister of the same name).

Momade refused to confirm or deny the sacking of Machava, telling the reporters "this interview was not called to discuss Brigadier Machava. This interview is now terminated".

Mbararano, Machava and the former Renamo Beira delegate, Faque Inacio Ferreira (sacked several months ago), were the leading figures in the inner-Renamo struggle against Daviz Simango in 2008. They seem to have been determinant in persuading Dhlakama that Simango was a threat to his leadership, and that he should not be allowed to run as the Renamo candidate for a second term of office as mayor.

This was an enormous blunder. Simango decided to run as an independent, and took 62 per cent of the mayoral vote, while the official Renamo candidate, Manuel Pereira, achieved a derisory 2.7 per cent. Renamo members and supporters deserted in droves to Simango and the MDM.

Regardless of claims about fraud, there is no doubt that the split severely weakened Renamo, and was a contributory factor to its poor showing in the October elections.