The historian and political commentator, Egídio Vaz, said today that the former leader and member of Frelimo party, Castigo Langa, took to the heart of the political organization a situation of identity crisis by publicly exposing a matter outside the agenda of internal debate. The analyst classified the content of the message as "gossip" and suggested that "the pernicious narrative" should be framed in another forum more appropriate.

Speaking on the Radio Mozambique commentary during the opening today of the 12th Frelimo Congress, Egídio Vaz reacted to the fact that this member of the Central Committee had spoken about a third term of office for Filipe Nyusi as President of the Republic. This happened during a party plenary session where this issue was off the agenda.

In a letter circulated on social networks this week, Castigo Langa calls on the current president of Frelimo - already confirmed as the sole candidate to succeed him in the party - and Head of State of Mozambique (PR), Filipe Nyusi, not to embark on a third term ahead of the destiny of Mozambicans. According to Langa, Nyusi could deal with "unpredictable consequences for the country, with a high potential of descending into tragedy, and it will be the comrade president who will get his hands dirty.

Frelimo's Political Commission issued a communiqué repudiating Langa for raising an issue off the agenda during the II Extraordinary Session of the Central Committee and for publishing its content.

Invited to comment on the matter, Egídio Vaz said that Castigo Langa disrespected the agenda and, by divulging the content of his elocution, showed a lack of perception between what is closed and open forum.

"The engineer Castigo Langa understood to share with greater public what he had said inside the plenary session which is against the agreed rules. The debate was closed and was not for public consumption," the historian began by saying.

He also mentioned that Langa's attitude was a miscalculation because it overlapped with the party's strength.

"He miscalculated having put his interest above the interests of the party, [namely] the image, credibility, honor, all his works, including the party chairman" he said.

In his view, the Political Commission's repudiation is "properly" framed and "aimed at drawing attention, not only to him, but also to all the others who think for themselves and not for the group."

Further, and repeatedly, he said that Filipe Nyusi's supposed idea of running for a third presidential term "is gossip."

"He, as a member of the Central Committee of the Frelimo party, assumed the role of the spreader of gossip, which is at all reprehensible. In this perspective, he brought about a situation of identity crisis in the party," Vaz pointed out.

The analyst agreed that the matter could be analyzed at the level of the party's disciplinary bodies and that, in fact, in all this fuss, what is at stake is Filipe Nyusi's compliance with the Constitution of the Republic (CR) if he chooses to renew his mandate as PR.

"The president has sworn to enforce the constitution and so far there is no indication, either concretely or indirectly, of an interest in torpedoing the constitutional commands," he revealed, applauding Nyusi's posture in "not responding to gossip."

Egídio Vaz said there are people who project a third term and necessarily want the PR to comment on gossip. "They want the PR to comment on a chimera."

Nevertheless, Vaz acknowledged the freedom of each Central Committee member to expose their thoughts, indicating that in the case of Castigo Langa there was a hastiness.

"I think that Castigo Langa's pronouncements should be framed in another arena of contesting the possibility of influencing the next electoral processes. There are interest groups and it's perfectly normal," he assumed.

Frelimo, in power since independence in 1975, has the largest number of seats in Parliament. This allows the party to approve a change in the CA, and thereby keep Filipe Nyusi in power for more years.