Good afternoon. Supposed former guerrillas of opposition party Renamo are occupying their party's headquarters in Maputo for the second time since the elections in October (see below). Their declared reason is that the party is not getting on with the task of holding an election to replace party leader Ossufo Momade.
That is no doubt true, but another reason for their action is a feeling that Renamo should be doing more to get advantage from the current political crisis. It is part of a “law of the jungle” mentality which, thanks to the failure of the state, governs so much in politics and everyday life in Mozambique.
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A great many Renamo activists depend on pensions, pensions which relieve them of the need to work for a living. The pensions were meant to be given to former guerrillas from the time when Renamo was a paramilitary force, as a way of encouraging them to disarm and to help them back into society. In fact, many of these “guerrillas” had never fired a shot in anger. But the government has also been giving pensions to “veterans” from ruling party Frelimo for fighting in the war of independence, when many never did. It was politically expedient for the government to extend the favour to Renamo.
