Campaigning without punch-ups
A main form of campaigning is parades and caravans of supporters – in cars, on bicycles, on foot – with party banners. When caravans meet, they often exchange insults and even fight. But as these two pictures show, in practice local political figures all know each other and electoral competition need not be confrontations.
In Vilankulo, Inhambane, Frelimo and Renamo caravans crossed paths on Tuesday, but, unlike what has been normal, the atmosphere was festive: they talked, shook hands and embraced. (below)
And in Beira Frelimo and MDM brigades in the Pioneiros neighbourhood, crossed paths in an atmosphere of peace and opolitical co-existence (below).
Also in Beira Peaceful political co-existence was shown by a car flying a Frelimo flag was parked in the yard of the MDM Beira political delegation.
In Gorongosa town, the Renamo and Frelimo motorcades crossed path without incident.
But on Wednesday (28 August), Frelimo and Renamo brigades crossed paths in the Muhala Expansão neighbourhood, near the Namuatho school, in Nampula City, and swapped accusations which almost led to blows. This began when Renamo members and supporters were campaigning door to door, and singing accusatory and offensive songs against members of Frelimo. In the songs, Renamo accused Frelimo of promoting terrorism in Cabo Delgado with the purpose of taking human lives. In response, Frelimo called Renamo an enemy of peace.
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Schools close so teachers can campaign for Frelimo
The Ministry of Education is tightly controlled by Frelimo. Teachers and school directors are expected to campaign and vote for Frelimo. Often, all teachers are registered at a single polling station to facilitate party control. And there have been widespread reports of schools closed this week, as teachers (and sometimes their pupils) campaign. This was particularly true in Sofala province, as shown in the picture below.
The school term should have begun Monday, but teachers have not shown up this week Marraca Primary School, in the Luluti administrative post, Nampula. In Rapale district, Nampula, pupils in uniform were seen in the Frelimo motorcade.
Frelimo in Vilankulo, Inhambane, instructed teachers to suspend classes, in order to support the party in publicising its election manifesto.
Many schools in Lago, Niassa province, did not open for the start of the term due to the involvement of the teachers in the election campaign. One was Matauale Primary School, in Metangula.
In Namacurra, in Zambézia province, the district administrator, Abílio Xavier Moura, led the a Frelimo parade to the Namatida Rio Primary School, in Mexixine locality. The classes were interrupted.
Frelimo is forcing the directors of the schools in Maganja da Costa, Zambezia, to pay 500 meticais ($8) to support the election campaign.
In Funhalouro, Inhambane, a classroom is being used for the Frelimo Party campaign.
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Public services shut down
Frelimo is mobilising staff from various sectors of the public administration for the election campaign activities, which has forced the paralysis of public services in many places this week. Our correspondents have verified this in Massinga, Inhambane. In Ibo, Cabo Delgado, staff of the District Planning and Infrastructure Services and the District Economic Activities Services were taking part in the campaign.
On Tuesday 27 August, the District Planning and Infrastructure Services and the District Health Directorate in Caia, Sofala, were closed because the staff attended the rally given by the Frelimo presidential candidate, Daniel Chapo.
In Mutarara, Tete, the Economic Activities and Education Sectors closed their doors completely so that staff could go to the campaign of the Frelimo candidate, Daniel Chapo. But the health directorate and the Nhamayabue Municipal Council left one staff member to guard the doors.
Many public administration workers in Ngaúma, Niassa, are participating in the Frelimo campaign, compromising attendance to the public.
State cars continue to be used, for example in Morrumbene, Inhambane. In Murrupula, Nampula, a vehicle with the number plate AGJ 674 MP belonging to the District Economic Activities Services is being used in the campaign. And the car of the district administrator is being used to transport supporters of the Frelimo party to the peripheral areas.
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Social media and songs instead of t-shirts and caps
Traditional campaigning with centrally produced posters, T-shirts, flags, and caps requires a robust budget. Government was late distributing money to parties, so Renamo, MDM and small parties have not started their campaigns in many places, blaming lack of materials.
Podemos and its presidential candidate, Venâncio Mondlane, are heavily exploiting social media such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Renamo and the MDM remain almost non-existent on social media.
Podemos seems to be trying to campaign without t-shirts, while Renamo and MDM are not campaigning as they wait for materials. In Namacurra, Zambézia, Podemos is circulating through the district, singing songs and displaying placards with handwritten slogans.
Frelimo controls the State and its finances. It makes agreements with businesses to finance its campaign and, in return, those businesses will be awarded contracts in order to recover the sums given to the campaign. This is an old strategy which used to be financed by business people of Indian origin based in Nacala.
The sums distributed by the State to the political parties are insignificant for an election campaign that prioritises conventional propaganda materials.
Taxi drivers threatened. Supporters of the MDM, in Mucombezi Pina, Vanduzi, Manica province, have been warned by members of Frelimo Party not to continue campaigning in favour of the MDM. They were threatened that if they continued to campaign for their party, they would stopped from driving motorbike-taxis. The intimidation is working, since on Tuesday (27 August) only four MDM members went out to the villages to woo the electorate. (https://bit.ly/Moz-El-279 )
