Online ReporterRanga Mataire
Group Political Editor
MOZAMBIQUE’s Daniel Chapo is set to be sworn in today as the fifth President of the former Portuguese colony, which gained its independence on June 25, 1975.
He will become the country’s first president born after independence to assume such a position.
Before being elected Frelimo presidential candidate, Chapo was relatively unknown and had little experience in national politics. His first appointment was as an administrator of the district of Nacala-a-Velha and later served as Governor of Inhambane Province from 2015 to 2024.
Despite being relatively unknown in national politics, Chapo showed that he was a team player during his campaign, with a good appreciation of the myriad of challenges facing his country and the need to mend good relations with regional countries.
So what will be Chapo’s presidency look like?
Some would want to argue that his presidency would be change in continuity. They posit that since he is a Frelimo product, he is going to carry on from where his predecessor, President Nyusi left. However, this observation discounts the main reason why Frelimo settled on a man that was virtually an outsider and the first one born after independence.
Domestic security issues
Chapo is 47 years old and understands the enormous task before him of fulfilling the aspirations of the younger population who form the bulk of the Mozambican population.
Researcher Tendai Marima says Chapo ran a campaign promising that a vote for him was a vote for peace. He has put forth a two-pronged strategy in dealing with the conflict, involving more boots on the ground and dialogue with the rebels.
With 56 percent of the population below the age of 19 years, Mozambique has one of the youngest population bulge in the world.
It is these young people that Chapo has to pay much attention in creating conditions for business to thrive and create the much needed employment. Chapo is not a rabble-rouser orator who panders to the whims of the people. He appears to be a pragmatist who relates well with the younger population.
One of his foremost challenges as he assumes the presidency is the issue of peace and security in the northern part of the country where Islamist insurgents were running amok leading to the displacement of hundreds of people.
The new President needs to show his resolve in dealing with the insurgents who have exploited the genuine grievances of the people in the Cabo Delgado of lack of economic development to destabilise the province. Chapo would need to address historical lagging behind of Cabo Delgado while balancing military and development responses.
Chapo has said he is prepared to fight against terrorists, who have halted multi-billion-dollar gas projects.
“We will continue to work so Mozambique stays a country of peace, including in Cabo Delgado. We want to continue fighting against terrorism.”
Economy
The former television presenter who is also a lawyer, is considered by some analysts as business friendly. They say he is prepared to fight against Islamic insurgents, which have halted multi-billion-dollar gas projects and displaced hundreds of people.
Judging from his campaign message, Chapo’s presidency will largely focus on economic revival and development. He has been very persistent in advocating for local resources utilisation for the development and transformation of Mozambicans lives.
But for development to occur, Chapo says there has to be unity, peace and security and dialogue among citizens.
“We develop Mozambique with peace, with dialogue, with harmony, with security and by talking. You don’t win an election by being a One Man Show,” said Chapo in the wake of violent opposition protests that ensued after the announcement of the October 9 elections.
Although endowed with natural resources, Mozambique has never known total peace and tranquillity as it was plunged into a civil war that lasted for 15 years 4 months soon after gaining independence on 25 July 1975.
The war left Mozambique with many landmines and unexploded ordnance, making large areas of land unsafe and unusable. The war also had a significant impact on the country’s social and economic infrastructure.
In 2023, Mozambique’s GDP grew by an estimated 5.0 percent, up from 4.2 percent in 2022. The World Bank expects growth to accelerate to 6 percent over 2024-2025. The main drivers of the economy are the extractive and service sectors. The country still faces downside risks to medium-term GDP growth, including climate shocks, security risks, and food and fuel price pressures.
Chapo has said the country’s business environment needs to be streamlined to make it easier for business to start and operate. Another sector that needs urgent intervention is the agriculture sector which is in dire need of modernisation and implementing programmes like the National Investment Plan for the Agricultural Sector (PNISA). Another programme that needs to be executed to the letter, is the National Programme for Industrialisation of Mozambique (PRONAI).
Speaking at a rally in Buzi district, in the central province of Sofia during campaigns, Chapo said mechanised agriculture would encourage the emergence of small and medium agro-processing companies, which would create job opportunities for the district’s currently unemployed youths.
He claimed that in Inhambane, where he was governor before Frelimo chose him as presidential candidate, he had successfully attracted investment into local agriculture and in turn benefited from processing units speeding up the production and marketing of produce.
He pledged to take measures to increase production and productivity of smallholder farmers including providing agricultural inputs, finance agro-business initiatives, and introduce agricultural insurance extension and research.
“We want to stimulate and encourage commercial agriculture so as to increase the production of food and export products,” he said. Given the fact that Mozambique has suffered from floods and even drought, a robust mechanisation of agriculture will go a long way in ensuring food secure for the nation of 33.9 million citizens.
Regional diplomacy
After being elected Frelimo presidential candidate, Chapo went on a regional charm offensive meeting regional leaders and briefing them on what his presidency would be like if he was to win the contest. It appears Chapo understands the importance of regional engagement for Mozambique is not an island. The country plays a significant role in facilitating trade through its ports. Under Chapo’s leadership, analysts say Mozambique is likely to play more strengthened role in regional integration and cooperation.
Climate change
Mozambique has been repeatedly struck by increasing devastating severe cyclones, such as Idai and Kenneth in 2019. The new President needs to put policies that incorporate mitigation and adaptation strategies including securing cooperation from multinational companies and organisations.
In Inhambane province, where Chapo was the governor, he developed a concept called “Local is the Only Programme we Have” which was designed to strengthen the capacity of local government in providing resilient basic services and build climate-adapted infrastructure through the UN Capital Development Fund’s Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL). The programme involves listening to the voices and needs of communities, in nine of 11 provinces in the country with tangible benefits.
At the moment, in Inhambane province, LoCAL directly benefits more than 200 000 people, or 15 percent of the population living in the province, and has already delivered 42 resilient infrastructures since 2018. These include health clinics, maternity wards, schools, water supply and desalination systems as well as support for resilient livelihoods in 10 of the provinces’ 14 districts and one municipality.
If Chapo is to extend this programme in all the country’s provinces and district, a lot of communities exposed to climate risks will benefit immensely.
As the 47-year old born free takes his oath of office as the 5th President of Mozambique, a lot is on his shoulders.
Both opposition and ruling party supporters have high expectations that the Government will be robust in dealing with corruption, unemployment and maintaining peace and security particularly in the northernmost province of Gabo Delgado.
daniel chigunwe
