Johannesburg: South Africa has reiterated its call for calm and restraint following post-election protests in Mozambique. International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Ronald Lamola, told a media briefing on Tuesday that he had spoken with his Mozambican counterpart, Minister Verónica Macamo, on 6 November 2024, discussing the current security situation in Mozambique following the recent general elections.

According to South African Government News Agency, South Africa expressed concern over the outbreak of incidents of post-electoral violence, lamenting the loss of lives and destruction of property. Minister Lamola emphasized the need for law enforcement agencies in Mozambique to investigate these incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice swiftly. He reiterated calls for calm and restraint, urging for the electoral process to be concluded successfully and for the Constitutional Court of Mozambique to have the necessary time and space to address concerns raised by all parties and validate the elect
ion results as per its mandate.

As a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), South Africa played a significant role in the SADC Electoral Observer Mission (SEOM), which monitored Mozambique’s presidential, legislative, and provincial elections on 9 October 2024. The SEOM, led by former President of Zanzibar, Dr. Amani Abeid Karume, comprised 53 observers from 10 SADC countries.

A total of 17,169,239 Mozambicans were registered to vote, including 333,839 in the diaspora. However, only 7,464,822 turned out on election day, resulting in a voter turnout of 43%. In a preliminary statement, Dr. Karume noted a late amendment to Mozambique’s Electoral Law, which affected voter education. Despite this, the SEOM Preliminary Statement concluded that the pre-election and voting phases of the 2024 elections were professionally organized and conducted in an orderly, peaceful, and free atmosphere. The statement also identified areas for improvement following the elections.

Following the announcement
of the preliminary results, President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasized the importance of calm and urged respect for legal procedures in resolving election disputes. Minister Lamola stated that South Africa believes the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections are essential norms to support the conduct of regular, free, fair, and credible elections in SADC Member States.

Looking ahead, South Africa anticipates the upcoming SADC Extraordinary Organ Troika Summit and SADC Extraordinary Summit on November 20, 2024, in Zimbabwe. These meetings, preceded by sessions of senior officials and ministers starting on 15 November, will focus on recent political developments in the region, including elections in Mozambique, Botswana, and Mauritius.