Mozambique’s ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) party is reportedly campaigning for ZANU PF in Chipinge South constituency, where Enock Porusingazi is the sitting legislator.

NewZimbabwe.com posted a video showing a FRELIMO official, whose name is not given, telling ZANU PF supporters in Chipinge South’s Ward 28 that businesspeople who fail to support ZANU PF in upcoming elections risk being shot and killed.

The official claimed he was in the company of an army commander adding that if ZANU PF loses to MDC and CCC, that will be the end of Zimbabwe’s relationship with Mozambique. Said the official:

FRELIMO’s message to businesspeople is that they should support Zanu PF; if they fail to do so we have brought with us a commander in our army, he shoots, and he will shoot as he does back home.

It is better that we end our relationship if Mnangagwa loses, we would not want you in Mozambique. We want you to support Porusingazi and Mnangagwa.

The FRELIMO head office says that we will not lose to the MDC or CCC.

The official said if ZANU PF loses, Mozambique will not allow Zimbabwean businesses to import fuel through the country.

In 2019, Mozambique threatened Zimbabwe with sanctions, after repeatedly warning Harare against imposing trade sanctions on a variety of goods exported from Maputo including alcohol.

Mozambique’s Minister of Trade and Commerce, Rajendra De Sousa allegedly told Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa that the ban could be met with retaliation.

During a business seminar in Maputo, De Sousa told Mozambican industrialists that Zimbabwe had placed bottlenecks for trade between the neighbours in clear violation of the SADC Free Trade Protocol agreement.

The minister said that he told Mnangagwa that Mozambique could also close its border with Zimbabwe for three days which would complicate life for Harare.

ZANU PF and FRELIMO’s relationship goes back to the days of the liberation struggle when Mozambique provided sanctuary to thousands of ZANLA freedom fighters.