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Mozambican opposition leader Venancio Mandlan, who has spent weeks in exile calling for protests, said he would return to the country on Thursday.
Mundlein said he would arrive before the new president is sworn in next week.
Daniel Chapo of the ruling Frelim party is due to be sworn in next Wednesday after a court confirmed his election victory.
But runner-up Mondlane rejected the result, sparking violent protests that have killed dozens since October.
Mundlein left Mozambique the same month, saying he feared for his life after two of his aides were shot dead.
In a Facebook Live address on Sunday, he sent a defiant message to the authorities, saying he “will be in Maputo. They don’t need to harass me anymore.”
He said he would arrive at 08:05 local time (0605 GMT) on Thursday at the international airport in Maputo, urging people to welcome him there.
“If they kill my brothers… then I will be there. Do what you want. If you want to kill, kill. If you want to arrest, arrest too. I will be there,” he said.
Mundlein claims he won the election and called for more protests until there is “election truth”.
His supporters often staged violent protests across the country demanding an end to Frelim’s 49-year rule.
Earlier he said that he would appoint himself president January 15 – the day of the inauguration of the president – despite the fact that the court supported the victory of his opponent.
The Electoral Commission initially declared Chapo the winner of the election with 71% of the vote, compared to Mondlon’s 20%.
The final official results of the constitutional court two weeks ago gave Chapo 65% and Mondlan 24%.
International election observers previously said the vote was fraudulent, pointing to falsified numbers and other irregularities during the vote count.
The security forces tried to stop the nationwide protests by violent dispersal, which put the country’s stability to the test.
According to human rights groups, more than 270 people were killed, including protesters, children and security forces.
The unrest also affected the economy, with more than 12,000 people losing their jobs and more than 500 companies being crushed.
Neighboring countries were also affected by political unrest, with thousands of Mozambicans fleeing across the border.
Outgoing President Filipe Nyusi has in the past called for dialogue to resolve the dispute. On December 27, Chapo called for “non-violence” and “unity”.
