Mozambique: No traffic in Maputo centre as protesters block streets again

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Mozambique: No traffic in Maputo centre as protesters block streets again

3:47 CAT | 28 Nov 2024

Photo: Luisa Nhantumbo/Lusa

Barricades took over Maputo this Thursday, with central streets and avenues practically devoid of vehicles, occupied by protesters, stones, trash cans, iron, sticks and everything that could block passage, in yet another post-election protest action.

Until 8:00 a.m. local time, although less than normal, vehicles were still circulating in the Mozambican capital, but progressively the main avenues and streets of Maputo began to be taken over by protesters, who responded to a new appeal by candidate Venâncio Mondlane to contest the announced results of the October 9th general elections.

At the intersection between Eduardo Mondlane and Guerra Popular avenues, in the centre of Maputo, the protesters once again pulled garbage bins into the centre of the road, already occupied by all types of stones and debris, and prevented any attempt by drivers to pass, while the police just watched.

An hour later, a group of soldiers, who have been carrying out street cleaning operations during these protests, managed to remove two containers, towed by armoured vehicles, containers which minutes later returned to the centre of the street, again pulled by dozens of festive protesters, who then played ball, sat on chairs and danced on a deserted avenue which, on a normal day, is one of the most congested in the capital.

“No. Here everything is blocked,” explains street vendor José Luís dos Santos, warning that everyone “must respect” and not try to pass: “Here the people are in charge. Here there are a lot of police in the corners, but they don’t come here to intervene.”

With a whistle in his mouth, like hundreds of others, he stopped working to “support the people” and guarantees that he only goes home at the end of the day, even without doing business.

“We are organizing the country. What is happening is very precise, the people have already suffered too much. This is no joke (…) The world is watching, out there, it’s not just Mozambique,” he adds. “We are tired of so much suffering, injustice.”

Today there are barricades all over the city, set up with everything at hand, and in some places attempting to pass ‘requires’ the payment of a ‘toll’, of a few meticais, while only journalists, identified by their microphones and video cameras, pass through safely.

On a day when, again, few businesses opened their doors, some protestors timidly looted some equipment from an electronics store on Avenida Guerra Popular, leading the owners to quickly close the establishment, without further incident.

At the intersection of Avenida Eduardo Mondlane, precisely in the place where on Wednesday, on the first day of this new phase of protests, a young protester was violently run over by a military armoured vehicle.

Ambassa Xavier was one of the first to arrive, to block the road, stating that the people want “electoral truth” and “to organize the country”.

“It’s not working for us, Mozambicans, so we prefer to claim what we voted for. As Mozambicans we have the right to choose whoever we want,” he says, with that avenue practically dead and several barricades along its length.

“There is no passing through here today. All roads are blocked, we will keep it until tomorrow,” he explains.

The same scenario was visible in other central arteries of Maputo or at the entrance to suburban neighbourhoods, blocked with stones, tires and even sofas, while groups of children and young people took the opportunity to play ball in streets that are normally busy with cars. .

On Joaquim Chissano Avenue, huge iron beams completely block the circulation of cars, repeating the scenario of protesters with whistles, vuvuzelas and posters replacing cars, as well as on Accords Avenue in Lusaka, where at a table placed in the centre of the street drinks were served. No-one drove by.

“The pure truth is this “no passing” this will continue until tomorrow, we will wait for the next stage of what he [Venâncio Mondlane] will say. We are always with him, even though he is outside the country,” says the leader of this group of protesters.

“We don’t want comments, we want to know the electoral change, in fact who won,” he adds.

Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane had appealed on Tuesday to the Mozambican population to, for three days, starting on Wednesday, leave their cars on the streets from 8:00 a.m., with signs protesting the election.

Source: Lusa