Nyusi calls for trust between government and Renamo

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi

Speaking at a rally in Mandimba district, in the northernmost province of Niassa, Nyusi stressed that the defence and security forces will continue to guarantee the security of the people and of “our brothers in Renamo” so that they will feel at ease in coming and speaking with the government.

He added that the government has already appointed a group to sit down with Renamo and discuss what themes should be discussed at a meeting between himself and Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama, in order to re-establish a climate of trust.

“It is we Mozambicans who have to solve the problems”, said Nyusi. “There must be trust between Mozambicans, so that Renamo is not afraid of being attacked. Only with peace can the country develop”,

He stressed that the search for peace should involve not only the government and Renamo, but also other political parties and civil society organisations. Nyusi warned that there were those (whom he did not name) “who want to take advantage of this mistrust for other purposes”.

He pointed out that in the central provinces of Sofala, Manica, Zambezia and Tete people “are living in a climate of threats”, and are unable to move around freely for fear of coming under attack.

“We don’t want war. We want dialogue”, Nyusi stressed. “If something is bad, we have to talk instead of attacking each other”.

He noted that, in the past, the people of Mandimba had asked for facilities such as new schools, hospitals and roads, Some of these have now been completed, which showed that the government “is working on solving the problems which concern the public”.

“What we promised, we are doing, and wew ant to do much more”, he declared.

Mandimba traders asked Nyusi to re-establish conditions that would allow peasant crops to be sold locally, and not in neighbouring Malawi, as currently happens. They recalled that, in the not too distant past, crops were sold to the now defunct state agricultural marketing board, Agricom, which bought up and conserved surpluses. This no longer happens, and local farmers tend to take what they produce and sell it in Malawi.

Furthermore, drought had hit Mandimba this year. Local rivers had dried up, they said, and there are serious problems of water shortages and food insecurity. “We are asked the government to intervene In solving the water problem, because the municipal council does not have the capacity to solve the problem on its own”, speakers at the rally said.

Nyusi replied that he too wants to see the goods produced in Mandimba sold locally instead of in Malawi. Food reserves must be created inside Mozambique, he added, to guarantee food security in the event of drought.