Heinrich van der Merwe, a beekeeper, lives in Gurue located within Mozambique’s Zambezia Province. The beekeeper hasn’t been away for several weeks after departing from the project to keep bees at Mount Mabu where he’s helping to establish 700 beehives within 9,000 hectares of undeveloped forest. However, he was caught in unplanned roadblocks that have been set up around the country as a protest against the alleged theft of elections.
Right: beekeepers from Zambezia Province
“Nothing has been happening in Mozambique there’s not a single person going about. I’ve blocked my staff from moving all roads are closed. The main highway, the N1 is shut from north until the south.” He says.
The border crossing point that borders southern South Africa is intermittently closed due to unrest in the nearby Ressano Garcia.
An exporter of bananas says they’re anticipating that the border will reopen following Christmas, possibly before Friday to allow the movement of Mozambican bananas to South Africa.
The feeling among most Mozambicans is that the five-year-old Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique was the victor of the general election in early October and that egregious electoral fraud was committed by Frelimo, the erstwhile liberation movement-turned-political party that will have been in power for fifty consecutive years by 2025.
Yesterday, the Mozambique Constitutional Court, at last it released its ruling about the controversial outcomes: It supports the Frelimo party and disavows accusations of fraud in the election, which were also raised by outside observers for the elections.
“Protestors want to make the country inaccessible to government, and make the government recognize the results of the elections,” Van der Merwe states. The leader of the opposition Venancio Mondlane’s attorney and rep for the party died in the midst of a hail of gunshots in the capital, shortly following the election. They were compiling an array of evidence suggesting that Frelimo had rigged the elections.
Arson incidents are often being reported by citizens who protest against the state. “It is a time of incredible destruction, turmoil as well as a massive call to be heard in Mozambique,” Prof Adriano Nuvunga Director of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights in Mozambique published yesterday. “Across Mozambique, people have protested and the destruction can be seen as a sign of the deeper divisions that exist in our country.”
Prof. Nuvunga Prof Nuvunga, who is chairperson of the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network claims that the tensions in the political arena are increasing because the government has refused to negotiate with political parties. “The direction of Mozambique depends on the outcome. Dialog isn’t flaw. It’s the act of courage. We cannot allow the destruction of our country to continue. will not be the legacy that we give to the next generation.”
Natural gas purchases Frelimo’s electricity
The position of Frelimo has recently time been strengthened due to the discovery of offshore gas fields on the northern coast of Mozambique and bringing huge sums of cash into the nation. Numerous news media have revealed that up to October 20, 2024, the sales of the Coral Sul FLNG offshore platform amounted to around 900 million euros Van der Merwe says. As per Venancio Mondlane who was exiled as opposition leader, this cash only makes its way into the pockets of Frelimo patronage group.
“I often was a follower of Mondlane as a member of the opposition in Parliament He was a frequent exposer of the weaknesses and ineffectiveness within the administration. Mondlane is now a frequent speaker on YouTube which I often take a listen,” Van der Merwe states. The location of the exile is not known. Mondlane has been exiled to.
“It is beneficial that I have a good command of Portuguese and can monitor the political climate and current events in Brazil. Mondlane truly wants to make a difference in Brazil that will be beneficial to ordinary people. In particular, it’s common that public servants do be paid no pay for a few months.”
In addition, taxes are imposed for the revenue of Mozambique’s offshore gas that is attracting all the big players from exploration (Total, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, BP, as along with Japan’s Mitsui and Malaysia’s Petronas and China’s CNPC) are not absorbed back into the local economy.
Apiculture helps people and nature
“We transform the forest into income sources to the people living in the area”
Van der Merwe had previously resided and was employed for a time in Zimbabwe as an Agronomist at Omnia Fertilizer, until all the clients had to leave their farms. Van der Merwe had already imported Mozambique’s famed seafood to Zimbabwe as well, so in the year 2000 he made the decision to relocate to Mozambique.
Today He is responsible for the apiculture industry in Mozambique by providing the beekeepers of rural communities by providing full-time technical support.
“The main goal is to protect the natural forest because all over the world, natural forests are cut down to make charcoal and then burned. We turn these forests into an income source to the people living in the area by giving them expertise and the necessary support needed to earn a living through the beekeeping industry, while also ensuring that there is that they will be able to sell the honey that they make.”
Right Heinrich van der Merwe and an beekeeper he’s taught
He promises a marketplace for the entire honey produced by the beekeepers.
“There is a huge demand for honey from the northern part of Mozambique. I sell all the honey that I receive from local beekeepers to towns like Nampula. Nampula is the Mozambican market is capable to take in about 400 tons of honey per year. At present, Mozambique produces 20% or more of it.”
However, he’s very concerned about whether Mozambique which is his new country, will be able to pull back from the edge.
More information is available here:
Heinrich van der Merwe
AGRI-Mel Limitada
Email: [email protected]