Top Mozambican human rights activist and former chairperson of the country’s Human Rights League, Alice Mabota on Monday filed nomination papers for the presidential election scheduled for 15 October, becoming the first female to do so since multiparty democracy was introduced in 1992.
Mabota is the candidate of the Democratic Alliance Coalition, a grouping of six small political parties.
She ironically is not a member of any of the parties that elected her to represent them, but told reporters she responded positively to their request to stand for the country’s presidential race.
“I am not scared. I know I will face stones and boulders, but I cannot give up,” she said on Monday in the capital Maputo.
Mabota was born in April 1949 in Maputo and she is well known in the political and economic scene in Mozambique for her strong and vocal character.
Like the majority of Mozambicans of her era, she struggled to go to school at an early age and started her career having regular job as public officer.
She was the founder of the Human Rights League that was established in 1993 with the aim of advocating for justice and human rights.
Mabota spent more than 30 years of her life fighting for justice, but felt that “the country is now going backwards in terms of the rule of law”.
Other presidential candidates who have already filed their nominations are the incumbent Filipe Nyusi of the ruling Frelimo party who is running for a second and final term in office, Ossufo Momade who is leader of the main opposition Renamo party as well as Daviz Simango, mayor of Beira and leader of the Mozambique Democratic Movement.
Another presidential candidate is musician Helder Mendonca, better known by his stage name of Dino XS, who is standing for the Party of Optimists for the Development of Mozambique.
CM/jn/APA