By Summary:
- Chapo takes oath in sparsely attended ceremony.
- Heavy police and military presence in deserted capital.
- Over 300 people killed in post-election protests.
Daniel Chapo, presidential candidate of the ruling Frelimo party leaves with his wife, Gueta Chapo after casting their vote during the general elections at Inhambane, in southern Mozambique, October 9, 2024.
MAPUTO, Mozambique, Jan 15 (AfrikTimes) – Mozambique’s new President, Daniel Chapo, has been sworn in at a low-key ceremony in the capital, Maputo, that was marred by an opposition boycott following heavily disputed elections.
In his first presidential address, Chapo, 47, pledged to “devote all my energies” to promoting unity and human rights in a nation scarred by post-election violence.
According to a local civil society group, more than 300 people have been killed in clashes with security forces since the elections in October.
Eight people were killed by police on Wednesday as they protested against the inauguration, Dr Wilker Dias, head of the election observer group Plataforma Decide told reporters.
Daniel Chapo and his wife Gueta at the inauguration. Pic: AP
Daniel Chapo (R) takes oath of office to be sworn in as the President of Mozambique during his inauguration at Independence Square in Maputo on January 15, 2025.
Addressing about 2,500 guests at the heavily guarded ceremony, Chapo said that “together, we will restore patriotism and pride in being Mozambican”.
“Mozambique cannot remain a hostage to corruption, nepotism, and incompetence,” he added.
Police fired shots to disperse crowds outside Independence Square, where the ceremony took place, as Chapo’s motorcade left the venue afterward.
The crowds were mostly of Mondlane’s supporters, but they included some who backed Chapo. Both groups had earlier tried to enter the venue but were barred from doing so.
“Is this a wedding with private invitations? We want to see the president being sworn in but we have been told we can’t,” Maputo resident Paulu Hamuze told the BBC.
Mondlane’s electoral campaign was backed by a small opposition party, which heeded his call for a boycott of the inauguration.
Mozambican Constitutional Council President Lucia Ribeiro (C) announce the results of the 2024 presidential elections in Maputo on December 23, 2024.
Even those in Mozambique who wish Chapo well openly question his legitimacy, or whether he will be able to tackle the problems he has identified.
“Chapo is someone I admire greatly,” said civil society activist Mirna Chitsungo in an interview with the BBC.
“I worked with him for four years—I am familiar with his willingness to act, his openness to dialogue, and his readiness to follow recommendations from civil society on the ground.”
“However, he is assuming an illegitimate power. This stems from a fraudulent electoral process… He is taking power in a context where the people do not accept him.”
“He Will Face Many Enemies”
In addition to winning over a hostile public, Chapo will also have to deliver the economic turnaround and halt to corruption that he promised on the campaign trail.
“Chapo will face many enemies because it looks like Mozambique is run by cartels, including cartels of books, cartel of medicines, cartel of sugar, cartel of drugs, cartel of kidnappings, mafia groups,” says analyst and investigative journalist Luis Nhanchote.
A disputed election result threatens to tip Mozambique into anarchy. Photographer: Amilton Neves/AFP/Getty Images.
“He needs to build a strong team of experts, willing to join him in the crusade to dismantle these groups systematically,” he adds.
“But first, he has to calm down Mozambicans and do all in his power to restore peace in the country.”
Daniel Francisco Chapo was born on January 6, 1977, in Inhaminga, a town in Sofala province, the sixth of 10 siblings. This was during Mozambique’s civil war, and the armed conflict forced his family to move to another nearby district.
After completing his secondary education in the coastal city of Beira, Chapo earned a law degree from Eduardo Mondlane University and a master’s degree in development management from the Catholic University of Mozambique.
Now married to Gueta Sulemane Chapo, with whom he has three children, Chapo is also said to be a church-going Christian and fan of basketball and football.
Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi speaks to reporters ahead of a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the US-Africa Leaders Summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, U.S., December 14, 2022.
Many current and former colleagues describe Chapo as humble, hard-working and a patient leader. Before becoming the ruling Frelimo party’s presidential candidate, he worked as a radio and television host, legal notary, university lecturer and provincial governor before rising to the post of Frelimo general secretary.
Speaking at his recent birthday celebration, Chapo himself acknowledged the daunting challenge awaiting him as president.
“We must recover our country economically… it’s easy to destroy, but building is not an easy task.”
National reconciliation, job creation, electoral law reform, and decentralization of power are top priorities on his agenda, he said
However, questions remain about how successful he can be without broad support from the country.
At the very least, Chapo’s presidency will mark a departure from that of outgoing President Filipe Nyusi, whom many Mozambicans are eager to see leave, according to Ms. Chitsungo.
Mozambique Opposition Chief Venancio Mondlane speaks to the press upon his arrival at the Maputo International Airport in Maputo on Jan. 9, 2025. Photographer: Amilton Neves/AFP/Getty Images.
“Chapo is a figure of dialogue and consensus, not one to perpetuate Nyusi’s violent governance style. He has the potential to negotiate with Mondlane.”
“While Chapo may not fully satisfy all of Mondlane’s demands, I believe he could meet at least 50% of them,” adds Ms Chitsungo.
Mondlane, a part-time pastor who insists he was the true winner of the elections, is reportedly staying in one of Maputo’s hotels after returning from self-imposed exile.
It is unclear what security protection he has or who is funding his stay.
He alleges that last week, while touring a market in Maputo, a vendor in his vicinity was shot, echoing the murder of two of his close aides in October.
Supporters of opposition member Venancio Mondlane protest during the inauguration of the ruling Frelimo party’s leader Daniel Chapo as Mozambique’s newly elected President in Maputo, Mozambique.
As the architect of nationwide protests against the disputed election results, Mondlane has come to be seen by many as a voice for the voiceless. However, Chapo’s camp has yet to engage him publicly.
Nonetheless, listening to the public’s grievances and demands, and sometimes ignoring the commands of his ruling Frelimo party, will be key to Chapo’s success, analysts have told AfrikTimes.
Finding some way of engaging constructively with Mondlane would undoubtedly provide a boost, they say. Winning the public over may also require Chapo to say no to “fat salaries for the elite and fringe benefits, some of which are 10 times higher than Mozambique’s minimum wage”, argues Mr Nhachote.
Plus, if Chapo is to have any chance of bringing an end to the broader political crisis, he will need support from others to make lasting, structural change, says prominent clergyman Rev Anastacio Chembeze.
“Perhaps we should remain skeptical of one single person to solve the challenges of Mozambique – change must start within the system itself.
“We should strive for a separation of powers within the state apparatus, address the huge interests of international monopolies in the country, and tackle the serious ethical issues within the political elites.”
Supporters of opposition member Venancio Mondlane protest during the inauguration of the ruling Frelimo party’s leader Daniel Chapo as Mozambique’s newly elected President in Maputo, Mozambique January 15, 2025.
Once in office, Chapo should dismiss the country’s Police Chief, Bernadino Rafael, analysts told AfrikTimes. While he denies any wrongdoing, he is regarded by some as the mastermind behind the brutal response to the post-election protests.
They say they want him replaced with a successor who “respects human rights” and follows legal and international standards. Another suggestion analysts have touted is for a new attorney-general to be brought in.
Chapo will be the first president of Mozambique who did not fight in the independence war.
“He is part of the new generation. Part of his background is completely different from his predecessors – he was born in a country liberated by them,” says Mr. Nhachote.
“If he wants to make a real mark on history, he has to challenge those past icons. If he can’t manage that, I am sure that he will only run for one term.”
Mozambique’s authorities stand guard during the inauguration of the ruling Frelimo party’s leader Daniel Chapo as Mozambique’s newly elected President in Maputo, Mozambique January 15, 2025.
