Good afternoon. When former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane does join talks between the political parties (see below), what chance is there that those talks will lead to meaningful change in how Mozambique is run?

Opposition parties have been calling for other sectors of society besides political parties to be represented at these talks, such as NGOs and religious organisations, something that president-elect Daniel Chapo agrees with. Their idea is that the talks need to deliver wide-ranging reforms that go beyond preventing more election fraud and which address problems like poverty, inequality and injustice.

The problem with all these reforms is that many if not all of them would threaten the privileged position of ruling party Frelimo. The justice system does not work because it protects Frelimo elites. Land distribution is unfair because those elites have snapped up much of it for themselves. Economic growth is held back by a party that is more interested in what it can grab for itself than in raising the fortunes of the population. And so on.

Major reform therefore means challenging the vested interests within Frelimo. It is not something that the party would happily go along with. After all, before we forget, Frelimo has just presided over an election where it benefited from massive fraud, which the Constitutional Council allowed it to largely get away with. Mondlane, and his influence over the protesters in the streets, will be crucial in exerting pressure. His supporters are still very much ready to cause disruption, as was demonstrated yesterday when they blocked roads after police shot people who had gathered to hear Mondlane speak at the Estrela Vermelha market in Maputo.

Now may be the only chance the country gets in a long time to achieve structural reforms. Frelimo, although still very powerful, is temporarily on the defensive and slightly vulnerable. It is time to strike while the iron is hot.

The latest from Zitamar News:

Agenda:

Monday: Swearing-in of members of parliament
Wednesday: Inauguration of president-elect Daniel Chapo

Today’s headlines:

There is room for Venâncio Mondlane in talks, says Chapo (Mediafax)
Police violence overshadows Mondlane’s arrival in Maputo (Lusa, Lusa, O País)
Two policemen killed in clashes in Nampula (VOA, Lusa)
CFM “needs $10m” to repair protest damage to railway (O País)
Mozambique will have 34m people by the end of the year (O País)
Nyusi dismisses five ministers elected to parliament (O País, Lusa)

There is room for Venâncio Mondlane in talks, says Chapo (Mediafax)

Daniel Chapo, Mozambique’s president-elect, has said that there is room for opposition presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane to be included in talks between party leaders aimed at resolving the crisis following the disputed election results. Chapo was speaking yesterday as the group’s spokesman after another round of talks in President Filipe Nyusi's office. In addition to Nyusi and Chapo, both from ruling party Frelimo, the group includes the leaders of the opposition parties with seats in parliament, as well as the New Democracy party, which has seats in provincial assemblies. According to newssheet Mediafax, the makeup of the group is raising suspicions that the format is aimed at excluding Mondlane from the negotiations. Chapo added that in the future, the group would be expanded to include non-political organisations.