Central Committee

The new members of the Frelimo Central Committee, the most important body of the ruling party in the interval between congresses, are now known. This Monday, the approximately 1,500 provincial delegates elected the 79 members necessary to fill the body, out of a total of 100 candidates registered at the central level.The longest electoral process in recent years in Frelimo – the election took place at 10:00 a.m., but the results were only released after 10:00 p.m. – resulted in what was already projected behind the scenes: the consolidation of ‘Nyussism’.Of the results that ‘Carta’ had access to, in terms of women who were part of the previous Central Committee, the highlight goes to the departure of Lucília Hama, deputy of the Assembly of the Republic and former Governor of the City of Maputo. Hama, it is recalled, was a member of the Frelimo Political Commission between 2012 and 2017, but was rejected from the body in 2017.

Helena Música and Joaquina Siliya were also excluded. Graça Machel, a senior Frelimo member, did not apply to stay on. ‘Carta’ has learned that her withdrawal was intended to avoid possible humiliation, such as that of Eduardo Nihia, who was unable to get himself elected to that body in Nampula province.

The list of women staying on as members of the Central Committee therefore includes Verónica Macamo, Margarida Talapa, Carmelita Namashulua, Alcinda De Abreu, Luísa Diogo, Conceita Sortane, Nyeleti Mondlane, Esperança Bias, Marina Pachinuapa, Anchia Talapa, Emília Moiane, Ana Rita Sithole, Sónia Macuvele, Amélia Muendane, Lucinda Espirito Santo and Maria Fernanda Moçambique Tonela. Nineteen candidates competed for the 16 seats available.

From the list of women seeking to join the new Central Committee for the first time, the highlight goes to ministers in the government of Filipe Nyusi, namely Josefina Mpelo (Minister of Combatants), Ana Comoana (State Administration and Civil Service), Maria Helena Kida (Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs) and Eldevina Materula (Culture and Tourism).

Luísa Meque (President of INGD), Ana Canhemba (Administrator of Inhassoro district), Isabel Cumbane, Xarzarda Orá, Julita Juma, Bendita Lopes and Rosel Salomão Pedro were also approved. In this list, 13 candidates competed for 11 available seats. Maria de Fátima Pelembe, former Secretary General of the OMM, and Easter Themba failed to quality.

In the list of candidates of men staying on, there were few surprises, as only 31 competed for 30 vacancies. Only Chinguane Sebastião Marcos Mabote was rejected. Remaining in the Central Committee are Roque Silva, Alberto Chipande, Alcido Nguenha, Eduardo Abdula, Eduardo Mulémbwė, Raimundo Pachinuapa and Eneas Comiche. Also on the list are Alberto Chipande Júnior, Namoto Chipande, Aires Aly, Samora Machel Júnior, Sérgio Pantie, António Niquice, Celso Correia, Tomás Salomão, Marcelino Pita, Carvalho Muária, José Pacheco, Chakil Aboobacar, Jaime Basílio Monteiro, Bruno Morgado, Licínio Mauaie, Dominic Phiri, Salim Valá, Carlos Agostinho do Rosário, Carlos Mesquita, Agostinho Mondlane, Eusébio Lambo, Arlindo Chilundo, Raimundo Diomba and Francisco Cabo.

However, it was in the men’s renewal list that there was most controversy. Frelimo made seven vacancies available, with 13 candidates applying. Among the entries, emphasis goes to the return of Oswaldo Petersburgo (Secretary of State for Youth) – rejected at the previous Congress – and the entry, for the first time, of Adriano Maleiane (Prime Minister), Max Tonela (Minister of Economy and Finance) and N’Naite Chissano, son of Joaquim Chissano, former President of the Republic and member of Frelimo. Pedro Guiliche (a famous G15 analyst), Constantino Bacela (Minister in the Presidency for Civil House Affairs) and Rui Chong Saw (former Mayor of Nacala-Porto) were also elected.

Among those rejected are Joaquim Veríssimo (former Minister of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs), Mouzinho Saíde (former Vice-Minister of Health and current Director of the Maputo Central Hospital), Inocêncio Impissa (Deputy Minister of State Administration and Public Service), businessman Prakash Prehlad, Manuel Formiga (former President of the National Youth Council) and Virgílio Mateus.

The electoral results obtained by Carta indicate that, in the Central Committee’s list of renewal for the economic and social area, delegates rejected the candidacies of businessman Lineu Candieiro of the Lin Group (which includes the famous Lin Cleanings), and the sportswoman Ana Flávia de Azinheira, former Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports.

Eduardo Mondlane Júnior, businessman Mahomed Assif Osman and Ana Senda Coanai, CEO of IGEPE (Institute for the Management of State Equity) were elected in the economic and social sector.

Among the youth, emphasis goes to the entry, for the first time, of Jacinto Filipe Nyusi (son of the President of the Republic and Frelimo), Emília Chambal (President of the National Youth Council), Edma Braund, Jherson Fernandes, Baera Morreira, Francisco Nunes and Constantino André. Sale Mussa and Patrícia Lopes were excluded.

In the renewal list, at combatant level, male delegates elected included Rafael Rahomoja, João Américo Mpfumo and João Ferreira dos Santos. Among the women, Joisse Jock and Laura Agostinho Mavota. Maria Gundana, Victória Daniel and Miguel Mkaima succeeded, while André Massaite and Xavier Nelson were left out.

The 79 members of the Central Committee elected at the XII Frelimo Congress yesterday will join the members elected at the provincial conferences, the two honorary party presidents, the six honorary members, the 11 Provincial First Secretaries and the three Secretary-Generals of Organs social bodies of the party (the OJM, OMM and ACLLN).The Frelimo Central Committee will in future be composed of 250 members and 11 provincial substitutes. It remains to be defined how many substitutes will be elected at central level.