Mozambique Elections 243-245 – 13 April 2024
The full bulletin in pdf is on
Fake machine breakdown preventing opposition voters from registering in Alto Molócuè
Alleged breakdowns of the Mobile-ID computers in Alto Molócuè are deliberate. Our correspondents visited eight voter registration posts there and found “breakdowns” at all of them. We found that supervisors have received instructions not to register any citizen who does not belong to the ruling party.
Our attention was called to this when, in the presence of our correspondent, a citizen arrived at the registration post in the Pedreira Alta EPC. He was not allowed to register, on the grounds that the machine was out of order. This young man made a quick phone call and after a few seconds of talking he handed over the cell phone to the supervisor. Minutes later the young man was able to register.
The next day the CIP Eleições team went to Pista Velha EPC, saying they had lost their voter cards, and wanted to apply for new cards. But they were told “the machine is not working”. The team withdrew from the post and positioned itself in a place where it could accompany voters entering and leaving. It was not long before a citizen went to the post and was registered. He is a member of Frelimo. When asked by our correspondents he confirmed he had registered. But when other potential voters enter the brigade, they were turned away because “the machine is not working”.
The registration posts in question are at the Pedreira Alta EPC, the Sede EPC, Mulutxasse EPC, Malua 2 EPC, Pista Velha, Futuro Melhor EPC, Novanana EPC, and Murapue EPC. In three posts would-be voters were told that the mobiles had not been working since Tuesday, 9 April.
This trick was widely used in voter registration last year ahead of the municipal elections – telling opposition voters the mobile-ID was broken, but registering Frelimo voters.
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Protest closes registration post in Manhiça
The population of Chibucutso neighbourhood, in the municipality of Manhiça, closed the voter registration post, because they claimed the mayor of Manhiça, Luís Munguambe, has made false promises.
The registration brigade has been closed for two weeks and the population is demanding a meeting with Munguambe.
On Thursday (11 April), the administrator of Manhiça district, Maria Moçambique Tonela, accompanied by the district police commander, the director of SISE and the municipal councillor for town planning, went to Chibucutso to find a solution.
The meeting lasted for more than four hours, but ended without success. The population wants its concerns solved, and also wants a clarification of the boundaries of the municipal and district areas.
Since the protest began, the schools where the registration brigades had been working, and the local health centre, have been closed.
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In Maputo some posts register fewer than five voters a day
Few new voters are registering in districts where most of the population registered last year for municipal elections, as the photo shows.
In the municipalities in Maputo province and city, there are voter registration posts that are registering fewer than five voters a day. Some have not managed to register 100 voters in 26 days.
For example, in the post at the Matola-Rio Complete Primary School, in Boane district, on 10 April by 10.00 the brigade had not registered a single voter, The previous day, it only registered four voters during the entire day. All were applying for a replacement voter card.
At Zilinga, in the Matola-Rio administrative post, there was a turnout that could be regarded as considerable. On 10 April, by early afternoon, 12 voters had been registered. But the previous day, only one voter was registered.
At the registration post of CMC Credelec – relento, in Maputo city, on average five voters a day are registering. From 15 March until now, 130 new voters have registered, 77 applied for a replacement voter card, and nine voters transferred from other areas.
At Magoanine Secondary School, 76 voters have registered since 15 March. 48 are new voters, and 28 requested a replacement voter card. An average of 3 voters a day are registering here
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Rains paralyse several brigades in Zambézia and Tete
Several registration brigades were forced to interrupt their activities in various districts of Zambézia province because of the rain that fell on Thursday. Our correspondents report that, for example, at the registration post in the Mopeia ESG, registration was halted because of the rain and the lack of electrical power.
They say that in the countryside the situation is critical. Because of the vegetation, the solar panels are unable to capture sunlight, particularly in the low-lying parts of the districtin the administrative posts and localities of Muthu, Dande, Ambrósio, Benejuaque, N’sage, Magamba and Mugurumba.
Also in Mopeia, the posts at Nzanza EPC and Mopeia ESG closed at 15.00 because of the bad weather and the lack of electricity.
In Derre district, because of the rains the voters stayed at home. The Medumbua 2, Zunguza, Machindo and Gambula posts were obliged to close.
In Gilé, in the Alto Ligonha administrative post, some voter registration posts, namely those at the Miraly EPC, the Ligonha EPC and Muiane, worked but only until 13.00, due to the winds and heavy rains.
In Tete province on Thursday, the Changara district capital was battered by torrential rain which prevented voter registration.
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Registration stopped because of shipwreck
Since last Sunday (7 April) the registration post at the Quivulane EPC, in the Lunga administrative post, in Mossuril district, has been paralysed because of the tragedy of the shipwreck which killed 98 people. All the victims were from the same community. The tragedy is also affecting the other registration posts in Lunga, namely the posts at the Nicorre, Nanchira and Muanangome primary schools. All are recording a low turnout of potential voters.
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Registration has not yet begun in Chihare
Registration has not yet begun in Chihare locality, in Chonguene district, in Gaza. The population complains that no registration post has been set up there.
Locally, the people say they have no information about where and when they can register. Only 19 days are left before the end of the registration period.
STAE promises that it will set up a registration post in the coming days.
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Special report: 25 years electoral fraud is on
Full Municipal Elections results with all changes is on
