- All cabinet members are either ruling party figures or public servants
- Minister of Justice yet to be appointed
By Ricardo Dias
Maputo (MOZ TIMES) – Twelve days after taking office, President Daniel Chapo announced six additional members of his government. Appointments are being made gradually, with the position of Minister of Justice still vacant.
Hopes that members of the opposition or from civil society might be included in the central government have been dashed. All appointees to ministerial positions are either prominent figures within Frelimo, the ruling party, or public servants from the relevant sectors.
Among the newly appointed ministers is Nyelete Mondlane, daughter of Eduardo Mondlane, the first president of Frelimo, who will head the Ministry of Veterans’ Affairs. Caifadine Manasse, a former Frelimo spokesperson, has been appointed Minister of Youth and Sports. Other appointees, without apparent political backgrounds, include Samaria Tovela, Minister of Education and Culture; Ivete Alane, Minister of Labour, Gender and Social Action; Fernando Rafael, Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources; and Ricardo Sengo, Minister in the President’s Office for Civil Affairs.
Ricardo Sengo, considered a close ally of Daniel Chapo since his election campaign, is a businessman with several companies registered in his name. His ventures span mining (Stratum, Sociedade Mineira), fuel export and distribution (Prime Gas, Limitada), as well as transport, agriculture, housing, healthcare, and tourism (Guma Investimentos, Limitada).
The position of Minister of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs remains vacant. With these appointments, Chapo’s cabinet now contains 18 ministers, including the 12 appointed on 17 January.
Dialogue with the Opposition Continues
Monday’s appointments make it clear that Daniel Chapo does not intend to include members of the opposition in his government. Nevertheless, the President held another round of talks with leaders from four political parties (PODEMOS, Renamo, MDM, and Nova Democracia), but excluding Venâncio Mondlane, the presidential candidate who officially came second in last October’s election.
The dialogue initiative was originally launched by Filipe Nyusi during Mondlane’s time in exile. Since his return to Mozambique earlier this January, Mondlane has expressed willingness to join the political dialogue but continues to be excluded. According to Ana Rita Sithole, a senior member of Frelimo, in an interview with MOZCAST, the party considers opposition to consist solely of those parties represented in parliament, not presidential candidates, even those who secured the second-highest number of votes.
The content of the negotiations between the political parties and Daniel Chapo has not been made public. (RD)
