Eye on the Continent: How democratic is Mozambique?

Two Tuesday’s ago on the 3rd of March, professor and constitutional lawyer, Gilles Cistac was assassinated after having his breakfast as usual at café ABC. It is located in an upper class neighborhood and less than 1 km from the presidential palace in Maputo. Mr Afonoso Dhlakama, the leader of Renamo, which is the main opposition party, said that he “blames the ‘radical Frelimo’ for the murder of constitutional lawyer Gilles Cistac and says that Renamo will avenge the crime. The Renamo leader has no doubt that the murder of Cistac is related with public academic pronouncements on the constitutionality of the autonomous provinces.” All this comes in the context of the controversy of the creation of the autonomous regions of central and northern Mozambique.

Gilles Cistac was a prominent professor of constitutional law and he taught at the Eduardo Mondlane University, the oldest and largest public institution of higher education in Mozambique. Mr. Cistac was  unpopular because he came out saying the project that Renamo was defending; the creation of the autonomous regions of central and northern Mozambique and was not received for some spheres of influence due the power the Mr. Cistac has considerable power on the civil society. The autonomous regions of central and northern Mozambique would consist to be governed by the second largest political party Renamo because they got majority on these provinces. This idea advocated by Mr. Afonso Dlhakama was taken to the president of the republic. The president said, “Let the parliament decide, they are the ones with power for such.” But because Frelimo, the ruling party has two-thirds in the parliament, the hope was that the law creating the autonomous regions of central and northern Mozambique would be sanctioned because they are unconstitutional. The speeches from the parliamentarians from Frelimo had already started to say so. But Professor Cistac came out and proved that it was possible constitutionally.

After all this controversy,  Frelimo and those who are against the democratization and removal of partisanship of the political structures in Mozambique caught almost on the spot from nowhere the person who defends that the idea is possible is assassinated. Well I say enough. Not to run for assumptions but it is a country, which the constitution defends the right of pluralism on its article 4 “Legal Pluralism” which says “The State recognizes the different normative and dispute resolution systems that co-exist in Mozambican society, insofar as they are not contrary to the fundamental principles and values of the Constitution.” Such situation puts into question the article of the constitution previously stated and the so-called democracy of the nation. What happened should be a moment of reflection for the Mozambicans in order to either stay indifferent or demand their rights. Otherwise in a very fast velocity the Mozambique will become a place that no one can express opposition to ideas because of the fear of retaliation and surely that’s not what the Mozambican dream from their national