US embassy cable - 04MAPUTO1280

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MAPUTO 001280 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
FOR AF/S-HTREGER 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, MZ, RENAMO, Elections 04 
SUBJECT: RENAMO ELECTION OFFICE HEAD DISMISSED AS PUBLIC 
UNIVERSITY SPOKESMAN 
 
 
Sensitive but unclassified. Please treat accordingly. 
 
Summary 
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1. (SBU) Eduardo Namburete, director of the election office 
of Mozambique's main opposition party, RENAMO, was dismissed 
as head of the press office at Maputo's Eduardo Mondlane 
University on September 1. He was relieved of his duties 
shortly after assuming the position within RENAMO. Some 
RENAMO supporters have labeled his dismissal political 
harassment. Namburete retains his post as the director of 
the university's communication and arts school. End Summary. 
 
Coincidence or Payback? 
----------------------- 
2. (SBU) During a September 8 meeting with acting pol/econ 
section chief and pol/econoff, the new RENAMO election office 
director Eduardo Namburete confirmed his removal as head of 
the press office at Eduardo Mondlane University, the public 
university that is Mozambique's largest and most highly 
regarded higher education institution. This came less than a 
month after he was sworn into office as director of the 
opposition party's election office. According to Namburete, 
he was advised of his removal by the university's Vice 
Chancellor, Brazao Mazula, on the morning of September 1. 
Namburete retains his post as the director of the 
university's School of Communication and Arts. 
 
3. (SBU) Some RENAMO supporters have labeled his dismissal 
political harassment. Speaking in the Mozambican parliament, 
the head of the RENAMO parliamentary bench, Ossufo Quintine, 
claimed Namburete was removed only after he refused to leave 
his position as head of the RENAMO election office. 
Namburete did not openly support this claim, stating that 
under relevant articles of the University's code, the Vice 
Chancellor has the power to dismiss individuals in nominated 
positions, the head of the press office being one them. 
Despite this, Namburete admitted seeing some of his 
colleagues completely marginalized within the University 
after going public with their support for RENAMO. When asked 
whether he feared the same, Namburete commented he did not 
think he would be isolated. Namburete did disclose, however, 
that since aligning himself with RENAMO, he has lost some 
clients in his private communications consultancy. 
 
4. (SBU) Namburete reported that in the weeks following his 
going public with joining RENAMO, he received telephone calls 
from colleagues congratulating him and vowing their active 
support. Nevertheless, since he was removed from his post at 
the press office, Namburete stated most have remained silent. 
Namburete seemed disappointed, but not surprised by such 
reactions. Namburete cited a case in which a wealthy 
colleague lost his business, home, and car after declaring 
allegiance to RENAMO. Despite the potential of such threats, 
Namburete was clear that he did not intend to return to 
FRELIMO, no matter the consequences. 
 
The Elections: RENAMO Puts on Brave Face 
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5. (SBU) Speaking in his capacity as director of the RENAMO 
election office, Namburete expressed disappointment at the 
dire lack of funding facing the party. He lamented that 
RENAMO could not campaign as actively as FRELIMO due to such 
constraints. He was critical of FRELIMO's use of state funds 
and equipment for campaigning purposes, alleging it was equal 
to stealing from the government and the people. Namburete 
admitted that a long and difficult path lay ahead for RENAMO, 
but expressed confidence this would be the year for change 
and that the result of their work would be victory in the 
December elections. RENAMO Secretary General Viana da Silva 
Magalhaes echoed this confidence during a September 21 
meeting with acting pol/econ section chief and visiting AF/S 
deputy director, stating that despite incidences of political 
harassment, citing Namburete as one example, he believed 
RENAMO would ultimately gain the support it needed to win 
this year's election. 
 
Comment 
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6. (SBU) Over the past few months, RENAMO has actively 
pursued membership among the intellectual and academic 
community. Such moves have been interpreted as a step by 
RENAMO towards developing a more professional approach to 
this year's election, especially in the face of historically 
low support among urban voters and increased scrutiny over 
the party's ability to govern. RENAMO was successful in its 
effort to gain Namburete's allegiance, but the speed with 
which he was removed from his high profile post may dissuade 
other would be RENAMO academics from going public. End 
Comment. 
LA LIME