Mozambique’s president-elect was sworn in on Wednesday, more than three months after a disputed election that saw a “national strike” threatened.

Daniel Chapo, 48, received 65% of the vote in one poll Opposition leaders, election observers and the public at large said the content had been doctored.

The outcome triggered a wave of demonstrations – some peaceful, some violent – leading to chaos, including killings and vandalism.

El Chapo’s biggest rival is Venancio Mondlane. Last week, he ended his self-imposed exile. He spent time in South Africa, where he said he survived an assassination attempt.

He is now calling on Mozambicans to take to the streets again on Inauguration Day to “fight the thieves of the people”.

Mozambique’s two main opposition parties – the Mozambique Resistance Movement and the Movement for Democracy of Mozambique – have both said they would boycott Wednesday’s swearing-in ceremony because they also do not recognize El Chapo as the legitimate winner.

Even those in Mozambique who do wish the election of the president well have openly questioned his legitimacy.

“El Chapo is someone I admire very much,” civil society activist Mirna Chitsuungo told the BBC.

“I have worked with him for four years – I am familiar with his willingness to act, his openness to dialogue and his willingness to follow the advice of local civil society.

“Yet he is wielding illegitimate power. This stems from a fraudulent electoral process… He is in power without the people accepting him.”

In addition to winning over a hostile public, El Chapo must deliver on the economic recovery and end to corruption he promised during his campaign.

“El Chapo will face many enemies because Mozambique appears to be ruled by cartels, including the book cartel, the pharmaceutical cartel, the sugar cartel, the drug cartel, the kidnapping cartel, the mafia syndicates,” said analyst and investigative journalist Louis Nanchot said.

He added: “He needs a strong team of experts willing to join him in this meticulous fight to dismantle the organization.”

“But first, he must appease Mozambicans and do what he can to restore peace in the country.”

Daniel Francisco Chapo was born on January 6, 1977 in Inhaminga, Sofala Province, the sixth of 10 brothers and sisters. It was during the Mozambican civil war, and the armed conflict forced his family to move to another nearby area.

He received his secondary education in the coastal city of Beira, then earned a law degree from the University Eduardo Mondlane and then a master’s degree in development management from the Pontifical Catholic University of Mozambique.

Chapo is now married to Gueta Sulemane Chapo and has three children. El Chapo is also said to be a Christian who regularly attends church and is a lover of basketball and football.

Many current and former colleagues describe El Chapo as a humble, hard-working and patient leader.

He served as a radio and television host, legal notary, university lecturer and provincial governor before becoming the ruling Frelimo party’s presidential candidate, rising to become Frelimo’s general secretary.

At a recent birthday celebration, El Chapo himself acknowledged that he faces daunting challenges as president.

“We have to recover our country economically… It’s easy to destroy it, but it’s not easy to build it up.”

He said national reconciliation, creating more jobs, reforming electoral laws and decentralization were at the top of his agenda.

But how successful could he have been without state support?

At the very least, he will mark a change from outgoing President Felipe Nyusi, and Ms Chisongo said many Mozambicans would be happy to see him go.

“El Chapo is a figure of dialogue and consensus rather than a continuation of Nyusi’s violent style of governance. He has the potential to negotiate with Mondelein.

“While Chapo may not be able to fully meet all of Mondlane’s requirements, I believe he can meet at least 50 per cent of them,” Ms Chitsugo added.

Mundran, a part-time pastor and independent candidate, insists he is the real winner of the polls. He is reportedly currently taking refuge in a hotel in the capital. It’s unclear what security he had there or who paid for it.

He claimed that while visiting a market in Maputo last week, a vendor near him was shot dead. Echoing the October murders of two of his close aides.

As the architect of nationwide protests over disputed election results, he is seen by many as the voice of the voiceless. However, so far, the president-elect’s camp has not publicly reached out to him.

Still, analysts told the BBC that listening to public dissatisfaction and demands, sometimes even ignoring orders from the ruling Frelimo party, will be key to El Chapo’s success.

Finding some way to constructively engage with Mondlane would certainly be a boost, it seems.

Winning public support may also require El Chapo to say no to “high salaries and fringe benefits for the elite, some of which are ten times higher than the Mozambican minimum wage,” Mr Nachot believes.

Furthermore, prominent cleric Rev Anastacio Chembeze believes El Chapo will need the support of others to enact lasting structural change if he is to have any chance of ending the broader political crisis .

“Perhaps we should be skeptical that one person can solve Mozambique’s challenges – change must start in the system itself.

“We should be working towards a separation of powers within the state apparatus, international monopolies have huge interests in our country and there are serious ethical issues that need to be addressed within our political elite.”

Analysts told the BBC that El Chapo would be advised to sack the country’s police chief, Bernardino Raphael, once he takes office. He has denied any wrongdoing but is seen by some as the man behind his brutal response to post-election protests.

They said they wanted to replace him with a successor who “respects human rights” and follows the law and international standards. Another suggestion touted by analysts is the appointment of a new attorney general.

Notably, El Chapo will become the first president of Mozambique not to take part in the war of independence.

“He is part of a new generation. Part of his background is completely different from that of his predecessors – he was born in a country that they liberated,” Mr Nachot said.

“If he wants to leave a real mark on history, he has to challenge the icons of the past. If he can’t (do that), I’m sure he’ll only run for one term.”