‘Seeing is believing’ is a popular saying that fits well with the well-crafted executive summary presented by Daniel Chapo as his inauguration speech this morning, in a deserted square where only the elites were present under white gazebos.

This is clearly the comment of most analysts who listened attentively to Chapo's speech, after having heard the words of now former president Filipe Nyusi ten years ago when, in a declaration with literary undertones, he promised that the people would be his boss.

For more than three months, Chapo has been methodically listening to ideas and opinions from a wide range of backgrounds, many of whom are not members of Frelimo. There are also many suggestions today that his program was modeled on the ideas of his main political opponent Venâncio Mondlane.

The new president tried to meet a consensual agenda. He paid tribute to those killed in the popular demonstrations, and saluted his opponents in the electoral campaign, despite Ossufo Momade, Lutero Simango and Venâncio Mondlane boycotting the ceremony.

He left the door open to dialogue, meaning reaching a pact with Venâncio Mondlane, the chief conductor of the current post-election protests.

Then came promises to reduce public spending, reduce the number of ministries, eliminate the position of vice-ministers, scrutinise the perks of public servants, reduce the powers of provincial secretaries of state, eliminate ‘ghost employees’ from public sector payrolls, and reduce spending and privileges in state-owned institutions and companies.

The inevitable fight against corruption, organised crime, kidnappings that rely on the complicity of official institutions, lobbies, commission agents and rigged competitions all got a mention.

He promised to focus on better education and health, and better quality in public services, though without making concrete promises.

The key question, as we have repeatedly highlighted before, is whether the Frelimo executive bodies will be willing to allow such a clean-up. In the last week alone, several controversies have involved rent seeking by members of the party’s powerful political committee. The MP involved in one of the biggest commercial scandals in Nacala shamelessly renewed his mandate in the Frelimo-dominated parliament this week.

State television cameras today showed the smiling faces of well-known and notorious lobbyists, commissioners and boot-lickers loudly applauding Chapo's criticisms.

Frelimo, as it stands, will not allow the changes announced by Chapo.

Such changes require popular support, and the most disadvantaged are taking to the streets supporting Venâncio Mondlane. Chapo must establish a strategic pact if he wants to govern.

And for his programmes to improve the living conditions of the population, funds are needed that do not currently exist. Unless Mozambique takes a radical approach to how it treats deficit spending, this will mean tightening its belt on the expenditure side, redirecting revenues, and making peace with the international community that turned its back on the inauguration ceremony of Mozambique’s fifth president.

President Chapo has hard days ahead.

The latest from Zitamar News:

From the Zitamar Live Blog:

Agenda:

Today: Inauguration of president-elect Daniel Chapo

Today’s headlines:

At least six dead and 15 shot on Monday (Lusa, Integrity)
Insurgents murder motorcyclist in Muidumbe (Integrity)
Three people shot dead in Matola (TV Miramar)
CDD denounces alleged bribe to Podemos leader (AIM, Lusa)
Trail of destruction after Cyclone Dikeledi in Nampula (Rádio Moçambique, Rádio Moçambique, Rádio Moçambique, O País)

At least six dead and 15 shot on Monday (Lusa, Integrity)

At least six people died and 15 were shot on Monday in the first of three days of demonstrations called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, according to an update released yesterday by the NGO Plataforma Eleitoral Decide. Three people died in Zambézia and three in Inhambane, bringing to 300 the number of people killed in the post-election demonstrations since October 21. According to Decide, on this first day of new demonstrations, marked by the swearing-in of deputies, there were also seven people shot in Zambézia, three in Inhambane, four in Maputo city and one in Maputo province.

Insurgents murder motorcyclist in Muidumbe (Integrity)

A motorcyclist was fatally shot by insurgents on Friday night in Mungue village, also known as Criação, in Muidumbe district, Cabo Delgado province. The victim, who was heading for the town of Mueda, passed through the village, which is located along the N380 motorway, when the insurgents were occupying the area. The victim's body was recovered the same night, after the insurgents withdrew from the village, having forced the population to flee and having stolen food.