The full bulletin in pdf is on https://bit.ly/Moz-El-285
Are schools for teaching or campaigning? Battle between Frelimo and school director in Memba
Frelimo is using its control of the Ministry of Education and schools to divert teachers, other staff, and even pupils to the election campaign. But not everyone agrees and there is a battle between the director and the office manager of the Luvila Primary School, in Muembe, Niassa. Because so many staff have abandoned their posts to work on the Frelimo election campaign, the director has instructed the manager to keep up the normal pace of school activities. She refuses, saying she cannot interrupt party work to occupy herself with school duties. She says her responsibility is to participate in the motorcades of the Frelimo campaign to the various parts of the district. This has priority over normal school activity. Thus she is ignoring the instructions of her director, even though she admits that the director says her absence is disorganising the school.
The office manager has challenged the director to sack her from her post. But the director worries he is at risk of losing his job for making the students his priority instead of not collaborating with the party.
Since the start of the campaign, the pupils of that school have been receiving lessons in mixed classes due to the absence of teachers who are working on the Frelimo election campaign.
Many workers of the public administration are abandoning their posts to go on the Frelimo campaign. And there are orders that they should not be marked absent.
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Frelimo chooses polling stations heads in Mandimba
Mandimba district STAE’s list of 65 candidates for provincial trainers of polling station staff (MMVs) are all public administration staff and all are members of Frelimo. More than half are teachers. And they will all be chairs (returning officers) of polling stations on voting day. Mandimba will have 113 polling stations. This means that more than half of the polling stations already have a Frelimo chair. The list includes school directors, pedagogical directors, former managers of STAE and staff of the district services, all controlled by Frelimo.
All were told to apply for both posts by phone calls made from the Mandimba Frelimo District Committee. CIP Eleições knows that some of these people are involved in the Frelimo election campaign.
Meanwhile two teachers run the risk of being transferred to more remote parts of the district because it was discovered that they are sympathisers of the Democratic Alliance Coalition (CAD), which supported Venâncio Mondlane.
The full list of 65 trainers is on: https://bit.ly/Moz-El-285
In Macate, 27 civic education agents who have been involved since the electoral census have been automatically enrolled as MMVs (polling station staff). These agents are all members of Frelimo who were not interviewed but were awarded marks ranging from 16 to 18. Also in Macate, 24 MMV trainers will be automatically promoted to presiding officers at polling stations. Other candidates in the open competition failed, even after being interviewed.
School directors in Tambara, Manica province, who be polling station staff (MMVs) have been told they will receive 50,000 meticais ($780) in the event that they “guarantee the victory of Frelimo” on voting day, but there is also the threat of dismissal should Frelimo be defeated.
In Massinga, Inhambane, the district director of education and head of the brigade that works specifically with teachers and public administration staff in the Frelimo campaign is going to each Zone of Educational Influence instructing public servants to vote exclusively for his party. Those who do not accept the instruction are threatened that they will not advance up the career structure, and may possibly be transferred to the interior
In Zavala, Inhambane, several public institutions are empty, and others have their doors closed. The staff are campaigning for Frelimo. Education has been the sector most affected. Many schools have no classes.
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Black week: two dead and over 100 injured in three accidents in the Frelimo campaign
The second week of the election campaign was marked by three road accidents that resulted in two deaths and more than 100 injured. On Wednesday (4 September) the driver of a bus carrying 100 Frelimo supporters lost control and the bus crashed. The district director of Health and Social Action in Milange confirmed that 93 injured patients had been admitted to Milange Hospital. One of them died in hospital. Three are in a serious condition and have been transferred to Quelimane Central Hospital. The bus was returning from a rally for Frelimo Presidential candidate Daniel Chapo. The crash happened on the Milange-Majaua road, and it is alleged the driver had been drinking.
The other two crashes occurred on Monday and Wednesday (2 and 4 September) in Manica. The first accident, which resulted in the death of one person, took place in the locality of Sembezeia, in Sussundega. The side of the open-top vehicle opened and some Frelimo supporters fell off the truck. The second involved a car from Central Mavuze, in Manica, which overturned when the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing one serious injury and several minor injuries.
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Violence in Niassa
Friday and Saturday were tense in some districts of Niassa, where Podemos candidate Venâncio Mondlane travelled. On Friday, members of Frelimo campaigned where a rally for candidate Venâncio Mondlane was planned. The parties clashed. This Saturday, clashes broke out in Mecanhelas for the same reasons.
Police in Ancuabe detain CIP correspondent
The CIP correspondents in Ancuabe has again been detained by police, as happened twice during the voter registration. The police claim that the CIP correspondent should present a credential and do not recognise the badge issued by the Cabo Delgado Provincial STAE. The CIP correspondent was released after a few hours.
A CIP correspondent in Maputo city has denounced strange visits of police members and soldiers. Since the municipal elections, members of the police have appeared at his workplace with the allegation that they want to collaborate with it. In June four police agents and officials of the Defence Ministry appeared, on the pretext of wanting to learn something about the area.
Insurgent action in Cabo Delgado causing election problems
A group of insurgents Wednesday (4 September) invaded the Nguri irrigation scheme, in Miangaleua, Chitunda, Muidumbe. They stole foodstuffs such as fish, maize and rice. They forced more than 20 of the residents to help them carry the looted goods to their destination. The kidnapped villagers walked with the terrorists all night to the place where they were ordered to leave the goods. All the kidnapped civilians were released in the morning and have now returned to their homes.
Since August it has been difficult to reach parts of Muidumbe district because of insurgent actions. The regions where access is difficult are Miangaleua, Xitaxi, Chitunda and Criação, which are located alongside National Highway No. 1 (EN1). In this place the terrorists have planted land mines. Two vehicles, one a car of the Mahindra brand belonging to the police, and the other a truck transporting civilians, have set off mines in that area. The situation has obliged transport operators to abandon the Pemba-Awasse route, and use instead the longer Pemba-Montepuez route, which gives access to Mueda, Nangade, Palma, Mocímboa and the Muidumbe district capital.
The situation in Mocímboa da Praia is deteriorating. Last Wednesday (4 September) at 07.00 the insurgents captured a woman and her three children in the village of Mangoma, who were later set free. But on Thursday bodies were found floating, tied to each other.
The Podemos delegate in Mocímboa da Praia is missing. He left Mocímboa da Praia on 1 September heading for the districts of Palma and Nangade, but has not made contact since.
He received 10,000 meticais and fled to Malawi
Three young man in Tambara, Manica province, told CIPEleicoes that each received 10,000 meticais ($150) to abandon the MDM and join Frelimo. Two did indeed leave the MDM and were presented to the public by the district administrator. But the third took his money and went to Malawi.
The full bulletin in pdf is on https://bit.ly/Moz-El-285