“The enemy’s strategy was to strangle the national economy and Frelimo’s power, starting from the capital city and the neighboring provinces of Maputo, Gaza, and Inhambane,” Chapo said.
Speaking in Maputo during a national meeting of district committee secretaries from the southern region, Chapo reminded party members that southern provinces were the “epicenter of violent, illegal, and criminal protests” following the general elections on October 9, 2024.
“We will not forget the vandalism of our headquarters and conference rooms in Malhazine, Xai-Xai, Chibuto, Maxaquene, and other locations. Nor will we forget the heinous attacks, such as the one in Inharrime, where we lost dedicated cadres and militants, especially young people,” he said.
Chapo also recalled the “chaos” caused by barricades on roads across southern Mozambique, including at the Ressano Garcia border post near South Africa, noting that local party leaders remained “firm and dedicated” in defending both the population and the party.
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He called on party officials to strengthen unity, saying: “United and cohesive, no one can defeat us, even with the wave of attacks we have faced, promoted, coordinated, and financed by internal and external agents.”
Chapo highlighted the country’s growing youth population, noting that many young people did not experience colonial oppression or the civil war, but are instead influenced by globalization, social media, and artificial intelligence—tools he claimed are being used to spread misinformation and promote regime-change ideologies.
He urged party leaders to adapt their methods to win the support of younger generations through new proposals, while emphasizing values such as humility, integrity, loyalty, and a strong work ethic. He also stressed the importance of recruiting new members to ensure the party remains in power in future elections.
More than 400 people died between October 2024 and March 2025, mostly in clashes with police during the post-election protests—considered the most serious unrest in decades. The demonstrations were called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who has refused to recognize the election results and Chapo’s victory, backed by Frelimo.
The protests also led to widespread vandalism and looting of hundreds of businesses and public institutions across the country.
