MAPUTO, Mozambique – Renamo’s mayoral candidate for Maputo in the recent municipal elections, Venancio Mondlane, has hinted at a potential bid for the presidency of Renamo, Mozambique’s main opposition party.
The move comes amid rising tensions within the party ahead of the general elections scheduled for October.
Speaking outside the Administrative Tribunal, where he submitted an appeal against the Constitutional Council, Mondlane addressed reporters about the recent announcement by Renamo’s national spokesperson, Jose Manteigas, stating that the current Renamo leader, Ossufo Momade, would be the party’s presidential candidate.
Mondlane termed Manteigas’s statements as “illegal” and lacking support from Renamo bodies.
He expressed concern over potential friction within the party, emphasizing that his considerations for a leadership bid were part of pre-election deliberations.
“I admit that the statements by Jose Manteigas have acted as a catalyst for the reflection I was making,” said Mondlane.
“If I reach the conclusion that there is indeed support from the members of Renamo and also from the voters, from young Mozambicans, then I guarantee here and now that I shall put myself forward.”
Mondlane, currently an advisor to Momade, believes that his potential candidacy should not cause discord within Renamo.
He emphasized the need for a democratic process within the party to gauge support.
Manuel de Araujo, the mayor of Quelimane and a Renamo National Council member, condemned Manteigas’s statements, accusing him of violating Renamo statutes.
Araujo suggested that Renamo’s Jurisdictional Council should intervene and criticized the premature declaration of Momade as the party’s presidential candidate.
“Renamo is the father of democracy, and this implies complying with democratic precepts,” Araujo stated.
He urged Renamo to establish a Department of Sociology and Anthropology to study public opinion and voting trends.
Araujo reminded that Momade’s term of office ends this month, urging the urgent convening of a National Council meeting to determine the date of this year’s Congress.
The internal disputes within Renamo add complexity to the political landscape as Mozambique approaches the general elections in October.
