Daniel Chapo has been sworn in as president of Mozambique as Venâncio Mondlane calls for a strike

Mozambique’s new PRESIDENT, Daniel Chapo, was sworn in at a low-key ceremony in the capital, Maputo, which was attended by opposition boycotts following a chaotic election.

Most of the businesses in Maputo are closed and the streets are mostly empty after the failed presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane called for a national strike.

In his first presidential address, Chapo, 47, pledged to “give all my strength” to promoting unity and human rights in a nation scarred by post-election violence.

A local civil society organization says more than 300 people have been killed in security clashes since the elections in October.

Chapo won with 65% of the vote, extending the Frelimo party’s 49-year rule.

Mondlane – who ran as an independent – came second with 24% of the vote. He rejected this result and said that he was cheated and called a strike on the day of the coronation of people’s thieves.

Speaking to around 2,500 guests at a heavily guarded event, Chapo said “together, we will bring back patriotism and pride in being a Mozambican”.

“Mozambique will not always be a victim of corruption, nepotism and incompetence,” he added.

Police fired shots to disperse crowds outside Independence Square, where the event was held, as Chapo’s motorcade left behind.

The crowds were supporters of Mondlane, but there were also supporters of Chapo. Both groups tried to enter the area but were prevented.

“Is this a wedding with private invitations? We want to see the president sworn in but we were told we can’t,” Maputo resident Paulu Hamuze told the BBC.

Mondlane’s election campaign was supported by a small opposition party, which heeded his call to boycott his inauguration.

Both of the leading opposition parties in Mozambique – Renamo and MDM – also boycotted the swearing in because they do not see that Chapo is the one who should win.

Chapo stepped into the shoes of Filipe Nyusi, who resigned from his two terms.

Even Mozambicans who wish Chapo the best have openly questioned his legitimacy, or whether he will be able to deal with the problems he has seen.

“Chapo is my favorite person,” civil society activist Mirna Chitsungo told the BBC.

“I have worked with him for four years – I know his willingness to take action, his ease in negotiations, and his readiness to follow the recommendations of civil society organizations on the ground.”

“However, he is taking illegitimate power. This comes from a fraudulent electoral system… He is taking power in a situation where the people do not accept him.”

Apart from overcoming a hostile public, Chapo will have to bring about economic reforms and curb the corruption he promised during his campaign.

“Chapo will face many enemies because it seems that Mozambique is ruled by cartels, including book companies, the cartel of medicines, the cartel of sugar, the cartel of drugs, the cartel of kidnapping, mafia groups,” said the analyst and journalist. investigating Luis Nhanchote.

“He needs to have a strong team of experts, who are willing to join him in this conference to break up the groups carefully,” he adds.

“But first, he must calm down the people of Mozambique and do everything he can to restore peace in the country.”

Daniel Francisco Chapo was born on 6 January 1977 in Inhaminga, a town in the province of Sofala, the sixth of 10. This was during the Mozambique civil war, and the war forced his family to move to a nearby village.

His high school in the coastal city of Beira was followed by a law degree from the Eduardo Mondlane University and then a master’s degree in development management from the Catholic University of Mozambique.

He is now married to Gueta Sulemane Chapo, with whom he has three children. Chapo is said to be a devout Christian and a fan of basketball and football.

Many current and former colleagues describe Chapo as a humble, hardworking and patient leader.

Before becoming the president of the ruling Frelimo party, he was a broadcaster and television personality, a legal scholar, a university teacher and a provincial governor before rising to the position of secretary general of Frelimo.

Speaking at his birthday celebration recently, Chapo himself admitted that he is facing a big challenge as president.

“We must restore our country’s economy… it is easy to tear it down, but building it is not an easy task.”

National reconciliation, the creation of more jobs, the reform of the electoral law and the distribution of power are the priorities of his plans, he said.

But how successful can he be without the great world behind him?

At least she will notice a change in outgoing President Felipe Nyusi, Ms Chitsungo said many Mozambicans will be happy to see his back.

“Chapo is a person of negotiation and compromise, he does not continue to rule with violence by Nyusi. He has the power to negotiate with Mondlane.

“Although Chapo may not fully satisfy all of Mondlane’s demands, I believe he can meet at least 50% of them,” added Ms Chitsungo.

Mondlane – who is a part-time teacher who claims to be the winner of the election – is reported to have taken refuge in one of the hotels in Maputo after returning from exile.

It is not known what kind of security he has there, and who pays for it.

He suspects that last week, when he was visiting a market in Maputo, a vendor from his village was shot. echoing the killing of two of his close associates in October.

As the mastermind behind protests across the country against the contested election result, he has come to be seen by many as the voice of the voiceless. However, for now, the president-elect’s camp is not talking to him publicly.

Still, listening to the public’s grievances and demands, and sometimes ignoring the orders of his ruling Frelimo party, will be key to Chapo’s success, analysts told the BBC.

Finding a way to communicate with Mondlane in a positive way can give a boost, they say.

Winning society may require Chapo to reject “the fat salaries of high and low benefits, some of which are 10 times higher than the minimum wage in Mozambique”, Mr Nhachote said.

Moreover, if Chapo is to have any chance of ending the broader political crisis, he will need the support of others to make lasting, structural changes, said prominent cleric Rev. Anastacio Chembeze.

“Perhaps we should always be skeptical of a single person who will solve Mozambique’s challenges – change must start within the system itself.

“We have to fight for the separation of powers in public companies, international officials have a great interest in the country, and we have serious ethical dilemmas among political officials to fix them.”

Once in office, Chapo must fire the country’s police chief, Bernadino Rafael, analysts told the BBC. He denies that he did anything but is considered by some to be the mastermind behind the brutal response to the post-election protests.

They say they want to replace him with a successor who “respects human rights” and follows legal and international principles. Another suggestion put forward by analysts is to bring in a new attorney general.

Chapo will be the first president of Mozambique who did not fight in the war of independence.

“He is part of the new generation. His background is completely different from his predecessors – he was born in a country that was liberated by them,” said Mr Nhachote.

“If he wants to make a real mark on history, he has to challenge those masters of the past. If he can’t [manage that]I’m sure he will only run for one term.”