The President of the Republic, Daniel Chapo, reiterated today, from the district of Mutarara, in the province of Tete, the need to cultivate peace, love for others and dialogue as fundamental pillars for development and national cohesion.

During a popular rally as part of his working visit to the region, the Head of State condemned the violent demonstrations that have shaken some areas of the country and called for the active and peaceful participation of all citizens in the process of inclusive national dialogue.

In a pedagogical tone, the statesman extolled the progress made since national independence, stressing that "during these 50 years of our independence, there have been many achievements". Reacting to critical voices that question the country's gains, the statesman was categorical: "There are people who come out and say that nothing has been done in these 50 years. There's still a lot to do, but a lot has also been achieved."

To illustrate Mozambique's journey, the President of the Republic used local and historical examples. "Here in Mutarara, where we are, there wasn't a single doctor or nurse. When we were independent in 1975, there weren't even five Mozambican doctors, from Rovuma to Maputo. Today [...] nobody can tell you how many doctors we have here in Tete, not to mention Mozambique."

He also highlighted the progress made in electrification: "Today we are talking about all the districts in Tete province having electricity. All the districts in Mozambique have electricity". He also pointed to significant progress in education.

"When we became independent in 1975, 97 percent of the Mozambican population could neither read nor write. Today, the majority of the Mozambican people can read and write." He added that the country has gone from a single university to more than 50 higher education institutions.

Despite the progress, the statesman acknowledged that challenges remain, including transparency in the distribution of food aid in times of scarcity and hunger. Referring to complaints from the population of Mutarara, he said: "Let's work towards transparency in the distribution of things that are for the people."

He also pointed to the need to improve the management of the Local Development Fund, ensuring that the resources actually reach those who need them most.

The Head of State took the opportunity to strongly repudiate the violence in the post-election demonstrations, praising the civic behavior of the young people of Mutarara, who distanced themselves from destructive acts.

"Violence, hatred, do not build, they only destroy," he warned, adding: "in politics there are no enemies, there are adversaries." He also lamented the country's history of electoral violence, noting that "since 1994, the country has never had peaceful elections".

He criticized the attitude of political actors who, according to him, plan demonstrations even before the results are announced. "There has never been a single election that ended and the loser acknowledged it, called the winner and wished him congratulations."

At the end of the rally, President Chapo stressed the importance of inclusive dialogue, pointing out that the Executive is committed to leading this process with parties represented at the different levels of the legislature and beyond.

Finally, he called for national unity and the active involvement of the population in building a common future: "Let's build Mozambique, let's build Tete, let's build Mutarara, and not destroy Mozambique with hate speech and violence. Is there a problem? We have to talk," he said.