Mozambique Elections 223-5 – 19 March 2024
The full bulletin in pdf is on Special report: 25 years electoral fraud is on Full Municipal Elections results with all changes is on
CIP observer credentials blocked
CIP is being denied press credentials in Maputo City, Maputo province, Gaza, Nampula and Tete, despite applications have been made two to three weeks ago. In Cabo Delgado, Niassa, Sofala and Inhambane applications were made less than two weeks ago and credentials were distributed yesterday (Monday18 March).
The Public Integrity Centre (CIP) is publisher of this newsletter, which has more than 400 correspondents. To go into registration centres, polling stations and counts they need press credentials issued by provincial or national elections commissions.
In Maputo City, two days after the start of registration, STAE returned the CIP applications for allegedly containing irregularities, almost two weeks after they were submitted.
Accreditation of CIP observers in Gaza is being blocked by the head of the secretariat of the Provincial Elections Commission (CPE), Francisco Banze, according to Mouzinho Gama, an opposition CPE member. CIP requested accreditation on 27 February, and to date its observers have not received their credentials. Hermínio Chihingane, a CPE member appointed by the MDM, says that the members from Frelimo last Friday (16 March) sabotaged the accreditation by abandoning the room without approving the credentials.
In Bilene district, Gaza, CIP observers are being monitored by the State Intelligence and Security Service (SISE) and by members of ANABIL (Friends and Natives of Bilene) which is formed by some teachers, school directors and pedagogical directors.
—————
Priority to Frelimo members in Sofala
In Inharongue and Danga EPCs, Buzi, Sofala, registration brigade members have allegedly been instructed to attend first to Frelimo members who come with the saguta (village heads) and party branch secretaries. This was denounced by the MDM District Political Delegate in Búzi, Fernando Gaissa. He also alleged that there is an attempt to block accreditation to MDM monitors, always on the grounds that the documents are not visible. So far, the MDM has been unable to place its monitors in the locality of Grudja.
In Cembam Sofala, queues are not being respected and brigade members are prioritizing public administration officials, usually members of Frelimo. Complaints were made by some voters who were waiting to register. The post supervisor refused to comment.
At the Muanza-Sede EPC, Sofala, voters accuse the brigade members of prioritizing public administration staff and their own acquaintances to the detriment of those who have been in the queue for a long time.
This is also happening elsewhere. At the Muliquela village, in Ile district, Zambézia, in the local EPC, Frelimo voters are being prioritised and attendance is slow.
Meanwhile in Buzi, Sofala, the district elections commission is refusing to give maps showing locations of registration posts to commission members named by opposition parties. Only Frelimo members have maps.
Neighbourhood secretaries, in Nacala-à-Velha , Nampula, are inspecting voter registration without authorisation from STAE, opposition parties complain. STAE confirmed their presence, but denied authorizing them. It said that STAE has not accredited any neighbourhood leader to inspect the registration.
—————
High turnout in many rural zones
Inhambane turnout is mixed, with high turnout in Funhalouro district. In the Natal Ngovene Primary School, in Mabote district, there were enormous queues on the second day, and the registration of all the voters could not be finished by 17:30.
In some places there was an early rush. Brigade members from the Salamanga community, in Matutuine, Maputo province, quickly registered 188 voters, but then people stopped coming..
In Vanduzi, Manica, in the early morning there was a crowd at Samora Machel neighbourhood. There was also a high turnout of voters at the Milione school, in Macossa district.
There was a large queue on 17 March at the Vieira EPC post in Meconta district, Nampula. It was not possible to register all the potential voters and so tickets were distributed for them to come back the following day. Other posts, such as that at the Cabo Lourenço EPC also recorded large crowds.
Niassa province is recording a high turnout of potential voters, at the majority of the registration posts visited by our correspondents, particularly in the non-municipal regions.
—————
But few registering in the south
But there has been a poor turnout at many registration posts, particularly in the south, even the districts that were not covered by the voter registration for the municipal elections last year. Our correspondents in the non-municipal districts in Maputo and Gaza report an almost total absence of voters. There are posts which only register three voters in three hours. Hence, just one voter appears per hour, and less than 20 voters per day.
The scenario is the same in Gaza zones with municipalities as in the non-municipal districts, such as Limpopo, Chongoene, Massangena, Chigubo, Mapai, Mabalane and others.
In the Maputo districts, the scenario is the same. For example, in the Mabilibili community, brigade number 03, located in the Mabilibili Secondary School, in Matutuine district, had only registered 52 voters by Saturday afternoon.
In Machipanda, in Manica, an area without municipalities, by the second day, not a single voter had registered. The brigade members say this is happening because the population are not informed.
—————
War and rain continue to disrupt Cabo Delgado
In Chiure district, registration is only taking place within the municipality. No administrative post has an operational registration team. Officially, shortage of transport is cited as the reason, but the main motive is the lack of security and the fact that roads are impassable.
In Ibo and Quissanga districts, the conditions have not yet been established for the start of registration. These are districts severely affected by terrorist attacks.
In Balama district, registration has not yet started in the Mavala administrative post. Three other posts are not operational, at Tutua EPC, Mariri and Agalia, due to machine breakdowns. The brigade members sent the voters home. Registration brigades have not yet gone to the Messalo, Monapo A and B, Sapato and Nsewe B villages. One of the brigade members told us they tried to go, but turned back because of the level of flood water in the Hanquessi, Nagigi and Monapo rivers.
At the Namacuili EPC, in the Metoro administrative post, in Ancuabe districts, the brigade members have been held back by the rise in the level of the Ncore River.
In Mocímboa da Praia, the registration only began on Sunday (17 March).
At the Mabote registration post, in Montepuez, the process has not yet begun due to a lack of electricity.
In the Naminawe village, in the Mieze-Metuge administrative post, registration has not yet begun.
In Natuco locality, 35 km from Mecúfi town, post number 05 is full of voters but registration computers have stopped working. Batteries are run down and the solar panels were unable to recharge them.
In Macufi, a power cut forced the interruption of work at six registration posts. The solar panels installed were unable to recharge the entire kit in some posts, namely Sambene EPC, Natuco, Metacane, Secura A EPC and Murrebue. The Muinde and Muitua EPC brigades suffered machine breakdowns.
In Meluco there are frequent problems of power cuts, caused by rains, and by insurgents damaging the electricity grid and mobile telephone masts
At the post in the Josina Machel EPC, in Nangade town, the first voters to be registered on yesterday (18 March) were those who had been unable to register and had been given numbered tickets on Sunday and slept the night at the school.
—————
No electricity and solar panels causing problems
The brigade at the Correia de Guava Mission, in Marracuene district, Maputo, has been unable to operate since the first day because of the lack of electricity and a non-working printer. By Saturday (16 March) no voters had been registered.
In the 4th Neighbourhood Primary School in Zongoene, Limpopo district, due to the lack of electricity in the school, the registration material stays overnight in the home of the local leader. The brigade members say the camera has problems in taking photographs.
Crowds gathered at registration post number 422, at the Xiboene EPC, in Moamba district, Maputo, where registration stopped due to lack of electricity.
In Vilankulo, Inhambane the registration post at the Caxane Basic School has not been operating since the start of registration, due to no electricity.
In Muanza district, Sofala, the mobiles at the registration posts of Nhansato Linha, Luanda, Sanguzi Muana and Wiriquizi had broken down and the voters had to go home. According to the typists, the mobiles are not charging.
In Marromeu, Sofala, many registration posts were paralysed because STAE did not buy CREDELEC (prepaid electricity vouchers) so that the mobiles could work.
—————
Illicit charges in Ngaúma
Our correspondents in Ngaúma , Niassa, report polling station monitors charging between 20 and 50 meticais for each voter who wants to register. The monitors ask the police to move about 20 metres so they do not see the charging.
