By A Correspondent

Post-election violence in Mozambique following the disputed October 9 elections has prompted the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to convene an emergency summit in Harare next week.

The summit, scheduled to take place from November 16 to 20, will address the ongoing crisis in Mozambique, which has raised serious concerns across the region.

SADC Chairperson and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has come under fire for prematurely congratulating the ruling FRELIMO party and its leader, Daniel Chapo, before the official election results were announced.

Mnangagwa publicly declared the elections “peaceful,” despite reports of violence, including the killing of lawyer Elvino Dias, who represented presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane. Dias was fatally shot in the capital, Maputo, alongside Mondlane’s party official, Paulo Guambe.

Mondlane, who has since fled Mozambique and sought refuge in South Africa, claims he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt.

“I am convinced I was targeted,” Mondlane said. Despite the official results declaring Chapo as the winner, Mondlane maintains that he won the election.

The SADC summit will focus on finding solutions to the crisis in Mozambique, as well as addressing other key political events in the region. According to Zimbabwe’s Information Minister Jenfan Muswere, who spoke at a post-cabinet briefing in Harare on Tuesday, the summit will also discuss recent elections in Botswana and upcoming polls in Namibia.

“The nation is informed that an Extraordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government is scheduled to be held in Harare from November 16–20, 2024, primarily to address emerging issues of regional significance,” Muswere announced.

“The summit is expected to receive briefings on political events in the region, including the recent elections in Mozambique and Botswana and the upcoming polls in Namibia.”