Mozambique Elections: Mondlane says he did not encourage any violence in Nampula

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Mozambique Elections: Mondlane says he did not encourage any violence in Nampula

4:11 CAT | 17 Oct 2024

Photo: O País

Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane said today in Beira, Sofala province, that he did not encourage any type of violence against the officers of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM), who were escorting his caravan in Nampula.

Venâncio Mondlane accused the police of being the cause of the chaos in the north of the country, when, for unknown reasons, he shot at his supporters.

Venâncio Mondlane was speaking to the press and reacted to the riots that occurred yesterday in the city of Nampula, challenging the PRM to prove that it was he who encouraged his members and supporters to throw stones at the police.

“The Director of the Order came with gross lies, which is a horrifying thing. He even said that Venâncio ordered his followers to attack the police. This is a blatant lie, because, thank God, we make videos of all our public activities. So, there is a live broadcast that filmed all the stages. Anyone who wants to watch it can just watch the video and you will see clearly that there is not a single moment when Venâncio told his followers to attack the police,” he said.

The PODEMOS candidate said that the police were the ones who acted strangely when they arrived at the Post Office roundabout [Rotunda da Polícia].

Regarding the summons from the PGR, Mondlane said that he is calm, as he is aware that he has not committed any crime.

“I even thought that a group of young people had taken the logo of the prosecutor’s office and written a text, because the formal and technical content of that document does not dignify or give credibility to the prosecutor’s office itself. That is why, in concrete terms, I am receiving the second summons, but, up until now, I have never been called for a hearing, I have never been called to make statements […]. Therefore, the prosecutor’s office itself is aware that what is being put in these notifications does not have, let’s say, a consistency that allows it to act with conviction that, in fact, Venâncio is committing all those types of illicit acts,” he explained.

Mondlane, who has been in Beira since the early hours of this morning, said that he is in Chiveve (in Beira) to lead internal meetings with members of PODEMOS and CAD, in light of the election results that have been released.

A strong police force surrounded the block where PODEMOS headquarters is located for the duration of Mondlane’s meeting with his members. A strong police contingent of various specialties did not allow Mondlane’s supporters to approach him, during the period that he was at his party headquarters.

Mondlane said the police action was intended to intimidate him and his members.

“I’m not coming to any march today, I’m coming to have a meeting with my political committee, around 17 people. Therefore, it makes no sense, what they’re doing is completely absurd,” he added.

After meeting with his members, Mondlane left the headquarters and went to the Beira hotel where he is staying, again heavily escorted by PRM agents.

Source: O País