Zambézia, purification of the ranks of the FRELIMO Party on hold?

Paulo Vilanculo "

The article “Purification of FRELIMO’s ranks on hold?” critically analyses the recent dismissal of FRELIMO’s provincial secretariat in Zambézia, questioning whether there has really been an internal renewal or merely a recycling of the same cadres. The text suggests that these changes are symbolic and that Party bodies continue to operate under a logic of patronage and maintenance of power among the same members. It concludes that, without profound reforms and openness to new leadership, the Party runs the risk of becoming increasingly distant from the people.

The Frelimo Party in Zambézia still does not have a new provincial committee secretariat, following the political committee's decision to dissolve the entire provincial secretariat, down to the constituency. The dissolution of the provincial committee by the political committee occurred due to the problems that were dragging the party into a scenario of lack of unity among members at the internal level. The head of the Frelimo Central Assistance Brigade in Zambézia province, Margarida Talapa, calls for unity and cohesion and has spoken several times about Frelimo's political commitment to the country's pacification process. (O Pais, 02/05/2025).

In Mozambican politics, there are events that appear with the sound of a rupture, but which, in reality, seem more like strategic reorganizations on the board of the same game. The recent mass resignation of the FRELIMO provincial secretariat in Zambézia seems to fit this pattern. At first glance, the act could suggest an attempt to "purify" the ranks, a gesture of internal renewal. This scenario shows FRELIMO's extraordinary capacity for internal recycling of the same names, the same faces, rotated like pieces in a chess game whose game is always won by the same people. The renewal that we are trying to make believe is not structural, but cosmetic. Secretary A leaves, comrade B, A's former advisor, enters. Surnames are exchanged, alliances are maintained.

Take the example of Pio Matos, governor of Zambézia for several terms. It is not just a problem of longevity in power, but of the way in which power is legitimised. His almost lifelong tenure in office raises questions about what is actually meant by “renewal of staff”. The case of Caifadine Manasse is illustrative: he turned his back on the party, filed lawsuits and was rewarded with the position of Minister of Culture and Tourism. In a party where conflict should, theoretically, imply dismissal or review of conduct, what we see is the opposite: conflict, when skilfully managed, becomes a currency of advancement. As an anonymous political analyst observed to DW Africa: “In Mozambique, dissent in FRELIMO can be both a risk and an opportunity. It depends on who is leading it.”

This "purification" of the ranks, therefore, sounds more like a bain-marie than a boil. It is a cycle of continuity seen as change. As they say on the streets of Quelimane: “the comrade changes his position, not his stance. FRELIMO runs the risk of, in its attempt to maintain the shine of its façade, ending up corroding its own political body and further alienating citizens who no longer believe in promises of renewal made with the same old brushes. As the saying goes, “he who washes himself too much, loses his skin.” The question that arises is: who purifies the purifier? Who defines the criteria of loyalty, competence and renewal within the FRELIMO Party? How many young comrades, with ideas and energy, have been systematically pushed to the margins in the name of “experience” and “party trust”? Could it be that in this bain-marie of purification of the ranks of the FRELIMO Party in Zambézia, there is room for the emergence of a new generation of leaders, who are not hostage to veiled pacts and internal political debts?

In Zambézia, one of the provinces most critical of the opposition, especially after elections marked by allegations of fraud, where the people are wearily observing the politics of mirrors, this internal operation by the FRELIMO Party could even be interpreted as a gesture of containment in the face of growing protests, as long as the party does not break with the logic of patronage and recycling of the same faces, it will continue to dig its distance from the electorate.

2025/12/3