Mozambican Opposition Chief Ups Stakes in Election Standoff
Nation has been rocked by deadly protests since October vote
Standard Bank expects economic contraction for two quarters
Mozambican opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane, who has directed waves of protests since disputed October elections that have left scores of people dead, plans to return home from self-imposed exile later this week, potentially exacerbating tensions in the southeast African nation.
The official runner-up in the presidential vote will arrive at the airport in the capital, Maputo, on Jan. 9, he said in a live stream on Sunday in which he invited citizens to be there to welcome him.
The protests that started on Oct. 21 have wreaked havoc on the economy, cutting off key trade routes and curtailing energy exports to neighboring countries. They probably caused an economic contraction in the final quarter of 2024, and are also likely to do so in the current quarter, according to Standard Bank Group Ltd.
Mondlane twice last week postponed an announcement on the next wave of demonstrations, which he had dubbed the “spearhead” phase. In his latest video, which had about 2 million views by Monday morning, the charismatic evangelical pastor and former lawmaker said he would be at the forefront of renewed protest action.
“I was not away from Mozambique out of fear,” Mondlane said, adding that he needed to leave the country to orchestrate the demonstrations. “I will be there. This is the spearhead.”
Daniel Chapo, the ruling party’s candidate who was declared the winner of the presidential elections, is due to be inaugurated on Jan. 15.
Mondlane criticized a regional bloc for being slow to intervene in the crisis. The Southern African Development Community held a weekend meeting to address the situation, and mandated its so-called Panel of Elders — comprising former heads of state with expertise in conflict management — to engage the Mozambican government and key opposition leaders.
The panel, with support from Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia, must report back by Jan. 15, SADC said in a statement Monday. Tanzanian President Samia Hassan is leading the process in her capacity as the chair of the bloc’s organ on politics, defence and security cooperation.
In December, companies in Mozambique faced the worst monthly contraction since August 2020 because of the protests, a Standard Bank purchasing managers’ index showed.
“The outlook has worsened markedly due to post-election tension,” Fáusio Mussá, chief economist at the lender’s unit in the country, said in a statement Monday.
This story originally appeared on Bloomberg.