‘Revolutionary parties should unite against Western detractors’

Conrad Mupesa

Mashonaland West Bureau

REVOLUTIONARY parties in Southern Africa should unite and support each other amid concerted efforts by Western countries to precipitate their collapse.

Speaking during a campaign rally for Mozambique’s revolutionary party FRELIMO at Chegutu Hall on Saturday, ZANU PF Mashonaland West provincial chairperson Cde Mary Mliswa-Chikoka said revolutionary parties in SADC would never be dislodged from power.

More than 400 Mozambicans in Zimbabwe attended the rally.

At least 33 000 Mozambicans living in Zimbabwe are registered to vote in the October 9 elections where FRELIMO’s presidential candidate, Cde Daniel Chapo, is expected to win resoundingly.

Zimbabwean-based Mozambicans will cast their votes through the postal ballot.

Cde Mliswa-Chikoka, who assured FRELIMO of ZANU PF’s support in the election, said the Mozambican revolutionary party would not be dislodged from power despite Western machinations.

“We have to stand firm against Western imperialists who have a tendency of influencing regime change to topple revolutionary parties. If you look at Zambia, the West succeeded in removing the revolutionary party from power.

“In Zimbabwe, they tried and failed. The opposition political parties including MDC and CCC have been getting financial support from the West, but failed. Considering the bond that we share with Mozambique, we don’t expect things to go the other way round,” she said.

FRELIMO’s Zimbabwe national chairman and central committee member, Cde Araujo Tonas Mafupe, who addressed the gathering, warned party cadres against Western imperialists’ influence.

“As FRELIMO we have been fighting imperialist-influenced regime change and RENAMO, which was born out of a political marriage between Ian Smith and Peter Willem Botha in the 1970s. These foreign influences have continued existing, but as a revolutionary party, we will win these coming elections resoundingly,” said Cde Mafupe.

He challenged Mozambican youths across the globe to use social media for their country’s development.

“Our youths should use social media wisely for Mozambique’s development. Mozambique and any African nation deserve total independence. While we managed to politically-free ourselves, attention must be put on the economy and other critical areas including manufacturing,” he said.

Cde Mafupe chronicled the formation of FRELIMO by Cde Eduardo Chivambo Mondlane in 1962 before his death in a letter-bomb attack in 1969.

He said Zimbabwe and Mozambique were Siamese twins whose peace and stability were critical for development towards an upper-middle-income economy.

ZANU PF provincial youth chairman, Cde Tapiwa Masenda, said the two countries were supposed to come up with twinning arrangements for them to share ideas.

Voter education was provided by FRELIMO’s Zimbabwe national chairlady, Cde Sarah Daniel, who explained those who were qualified to vote.

At least 17 million people have registered to vote with Cde Chapo expected to square it off against three other candidates including Venancio Mondlane, who is running as an independent.

The other two candidates are Ossufo Momade of Renamo and Lutero Simango of the Mozambique Democratic Movement.