RENAMO’s head of mobilisation, Geraldo Carvalho, has defended the leadership of Ossufo Momade and called for unity within the party as internal opposition to the current president continues to grow.
Speaking in Lichinga, in Niassa Province, Carvalho said party members should respect RENAMO’s structures and symbols, rejecting actions by groups challenging the current leadership.
“This is the time for us to unite, embrace one another and respect the party’s structures and symbols,” he said.
The senior official also criticised the self-proclaimed RENAMO management commission, formed by former guerrillas and other members dissatisfied with Ossufo Momade’s leadership.
Carvalho argued that internal disagreements should be resolved through the party’s established structures and urged the dissident groups to return to internal dialogue.
His comments come as RENAMO prepares to hold its National Council on 21 and 22 October in Maputo.
The meeting is expected to assess the party’s internal situation and will take place at a time of mounting pressure on Ossufo Momade, whose leadership has been challenged by former guerrillas, senior figures and other party members.
His critics accuse him of poor management, failure to pay pensions and allowances, and an inability to resolve the internal crisis affecting the party.
In recent months, former guerrillas have occupied RENAMO offices in several provinces, demanding the departure of the current leader and the use of internal party mechanisms to redefine the leadership.
Earlier this week, members of the self-proclaimed national management commission again accused Ossufo Momade of using the National Council as a strategy to remain in office.
The National Council had initially been expected to take place in March but was not held. The party later indicated that the meeting would take place during the first half of the year, but that also did not happen.
Ossufo Momade has led RENAMO since 2018, when he succeeded Afonso Dhlakama. He was re-elected party president in May 2024.
In Mozambique’s October 2024 general election, Momade secured around 6% of the presidential vote, the worst result ever recorded by a RENAMO-backed presidential candidate. The party also lost its position as the country’s main opposition force.
The upcoming National Council is being seen as a key moment for the future of the party’s leadership and for efforts to contain the divisions within RENAMO.
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