Civil society organisations want to destroy FRELIMO

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, speaking in his capacity as leader of the ruling Frelimo Party, on Thursday claimed that some of the country’s civil society organisations want to destroy Frelimo. Addressing a meeting in the southern city of Matola of the Frelimo disciplinary body, the Verification Commission, Nyusi said there are “intruders” in the party who want to weaken it and drag its name through the mud. He urged Frelimo members to be vigilant against all those who want to wreck the party. He called for cohesion among the membership as the only way to face challenges imposed by the forces acting against the Party.

“The Frelimo Party is operating in a world of intense political competition”, said Nyusi. “So we are called upon to perfect our methods of work in order to confront the forces that are opposed to our designs”. He warned that Frelimo’s opponents have been strengthening their methods of operation, “seeking to subvert the Party’s guidelines”.

 “Just as in the past, the main target of our adversaries is to destroy the unity and discipline of our Party”, Nyusi declared. “Tribalism, regionalism and other forms of discrimination are among the means invoked by some elements, inside or outside the party, to cover up their ambition for power, or to satisfy personal or group interests”. He stressed that Frelimo needs to reorganize itself to face the challenges of the municipal elections scheduled for October.

“This is a moment of extreme importance in the national political cycle”, Nyusi said. “Our Party has the challenge of maintaining the governance of the 44 municipalities currently under our rule, of recovering the nine that are currently run by the opposition, and of winning in the 12 new municipalities”.

He warned that such a victory can only be won on the basis of “transparency, responsibility, justice and integrity”. Above all, the Party must ensure that its election candidates are capable of attracting the support of the voters “for an overwhelming Frelimo victory”. Nyusi urged the Verification Commission to fight against corruption inside Frelimo, and in public institutions. The Commission, he said, must guarantee strict compliance with the Frelimo statutes.