Mozambican President Daniel Chapo met with opposition figure Venâncio Mondlane on Sunday night in Maputo in a significant political development seen as signalling a potential thawing of frosty relations between the two.
This marked their first meeting since the contentious general elections of October 2024, which Mondlane has consistently claimed were marred by fraud.
The meeting, described by Chapo’s office as part of efforts to “promote national stability and strengthen reconciliation,” comes amid heightened political tensions.
A statement from the presidency emphasised the importance of dialogue in fostering trust and ensuring a harmonious future for all Mozambicans.
It said the meeting is part of “the continual effort to promote national stability and strengthen the commitment to reconciliation and unity among Mozambicans”.
Mondlane, in his own statement, framed the meeting as a response to the public’s “cry for help” over the country’s ongoing insecurity.
“In search for a national solution to the cry for help from the population with regard to the situation of extreme insecurity in which the country finds itself, I held a meeting with the Head of State on Sunday to begin a mutual process of responding to the appeals and longings of the Mozambican people,” Mondlane said.
The backdrop to this meeting is a fraught political landscape.
Mondlane, who garnered 25 percent of the vote according to the country’s Constitutional Council, has rejected the results, claiming that he was the rightful winner.
The disputed election results have fuelled a political crisis, with violent clashes between Mondlane’s supporters and police claiming over 300 lives.
Despite the conciliatory tone of Sunday’s meeting, neither Chapo nor Mondlane disclosed the specifics of their discussion.
Mondlane, who is not affiliated with any political party but commands significant public support, has promised to address the nation soon to outline the next steps.
This meeting represents a departure from Chapo’s previous approach, which excluded Mondlane from dialogues with opposition parties.
JN/APA