Mozambican opponent Daviz Simango died at the age of 57. The announcement was made on Monday, February 22, 2021, by his family. Mayor of the city of Beira, several times affected by cyclones, he was known for his commitment to the fight against global warming.
Mozambique has lost one of its main opponents. Daviz Simango died, according to his brother Lutero Simango, in a hospital in South Africa, where he had been transferred last week. However, no details of his illness were disclosed.
Daviz Simango was mayor of Beira, the country’s second largest city with a population of some 500,000 since 2003. He was a member of the country’s largest opposition party, the former rebel group Renamo. He left this political party to create, in 2009, his own party, the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM).
He was re-elected several times as mayor but never exceeded the third position in the presidential election. This was the case in 2009, 2014 and 2019. Daviz Simango was the son of one of the founders of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo), which fought against the Portuguese colonial power.
Beira is a port city located below sea level. As mayor, David Simango fought against the effects of climate change and rising water levels. Two cyclones ravaged the Mozambican coast in 2019. Much of the city of Beira was devastated. More than 600 people were killed and hundreds of thousands were left homeless.
