President Cyril Ramaphosa to attend inauguration of Mozambique's Filipe Nyusi

15 January 2020 - 08:52 By Rethabile Radebe
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In a hotly contested election, Filipe Nyusi emerged victorious after his Frelimo party garnered 73% of the votes in October last year.
In a hotly contested election, Filipe Nyusi emerged victorious after his Frelimo party garnered 73% of the votes in October last year.
Image: REUTERS/Grant Lee Neuenburg

President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Wednesday attend the inauguration of Mozambique's newly elected president, Filipe Nyusi, in Maputo.

Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa will also be there.

In a statement, Ramaphosa's office said: “South Africa and Mozambique enjoy cordial bilateral relations, underpinned by strong historical and political bonds that date back to the era of the liberation struggle.”

In a hotly contested election, Nyusi emerged victorious after his Frelimo party garnered 73% of the votes in October last year.

The main opposition, Renamo, accused Nyusi's party of winning fraudulently, using violence and intimidating voters.

It remains to be seen if the inauguration will continue without any disruptions, as a rebel faction condemned the peace deal between Renamo and Mozambique's ruling party, labelling it treason.

The head of the dissident faction, Mariano Nhongo, vowed to block Nyusi from taking his presidential oath of office.

The violence that took place during the October elections is said to have left at least 10 people dead.


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