Mass protests in Mozambique

The pressure is building in Mozam

I recently discussed revolutionary beginnings in Mozambique regarding an interview on our podcast, but I didn't expect to already hear murmurs of revolution.

No, this has nothing to do with Bitcoin. The people of Mozambique are protesting in the wake of the recent election on October 9th. The ruling party, Frelimo, has been in power since Mozambique's independence more than 50 years ago, and the people are rejecting their alleged victory in the election.

It's no secret that Frelimo is corrupt. Everyone I've spoken to expected them to win this election even if they didn't get the most votes. From what I've heard, they've done it before and now they've done it again.

A precarious position

I've been in Mozambique for almost 2 months now. It has been an incredible experience and I'm fairly isolated from the protests here in Tofo.

Things are getting a bit tricky though. The capital, Maputo, is a no-go due to the protests. That's OK. We can exit Mozambique a few other ways. Apparently, protests have sprung up in the North, so we'll have to be careful if we take that route. Thus far, the quickest exit to South Africa remains open.

The government has also been meddling with the internet. I couldn't call home due to internet outages a few days ago. Today, WhatsApp and Facebook are inaccessible. The leader of the opposition, and clear favourite, Venancio Mondlane, is fuelling the people's discontent by sharing his broadcasts from a secret location through Facebook. WhatsApp is Africa's most popular communications platform, so it's clear Frelimo is trying to stifle the people from organising their protests further.

We've also been advised to start stocking supplies. Tofo is a small town that relies on food and other goods from Maputo that are being restricted. I’m already having trouble buying a coffee in town for this reason.

Friends of ours have already tried and failed to leave the country because their flights were booked through Maputo. The pressure is building in Mozambique, and we're being patient to make the right moves.

This is as far as I can update you, for now. I'll be writing soon with further developments.

I'll soon be conducting an interview with a friend with some interesting insights into Mozambique’s current purported "revolution".

Until then,

G