Mozambique: Venâncio Mondlane named a defendant in yet another post-election case – Watch

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Mozambique: Venâncio Mondlane named a defendant in yet another post-election case – Watch

2:04 CAT | 18 Jun 2025

Screen grab: Venâncio Mondlane /Facebook

Politician Venâncio Mondlane, who led the challenge to the results of the Mozambican general elections on October 9, has been named a defendant (constituido arguido) in Niassa province, following the post-election protests, he announced today.

In a message on his Facebook account complaining of “persecution”, Venâncio Mondlane, presidential candidate in the last elections, published a copy of the defendant’s name that he received in Maputo from the District Attorney’s Office of Cuamba, in the north of the country.

The notification is justified by the “strong suspicion that he is the author” of crimes of incitement to collective disobedience, slanderous denunciation, and offending the honour of the President of the Republic.

Venâncio Mondlane also criticises the dismissal by the District Prosecutor’s Office of Zavala, in the southern province of Inhambane, of a complaint he filed concerning an alleged “attack” that was being planned by a police officer who had infiltrated his personal security detail.

“The police officer caught red-handed was helped to escape from the PRM [Police of the Republic of Mozambique] district command in Zavala. Today, while I was having lunch, I received a notification at my home that the case had been dismissed,” Mondlane revealed. “The case has been dismissed for the crime of which I was a victim (attack). For the crimes of which I am a suspect, I am immediately named a defendant,” he comments.

Lusa reported on 10 June that the Maputo City Judicial Court (TJCM) gave Venâncio Mondlane 20 days to present his defence in the case brought by the Mozambican state. The announcement published that day states that the case, without giving details of its content, is being heard in the ninth section of that court and that Venâncio Mondlane – described as being in an “unknown whereabouts”, contrary to what the politician says – can, if he wishes, present a defence “in the declaratory action for conviction, in the form of ordinary common proceedings” brought by the Attorney-General’s Office (PGR).

READ: Venâncio Mondlane says he is at justice’s disposal: ‘I am in Mozambique’ – Watch

Lusa reported in November that the PGR was, in a civil action against Venâncio Mondlane and Podemos, the party that supported his candidacy, demanding compensation of €445,000 for the losses caused by the demonstrations of the previous weeks – which worsened considerably in the following months – in the city of Maputo alone.

According to information from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, this case was filed with the TJCM, but others of the same kind followed, particularly in Maputo province. “Despite warnings and summons issued by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the co-defendants [Venâncio Mondlane and Albino Forquilha, president of Podemos] continued to call for mass participation by citizens in the aforementioned protest movements, inciting them to rage and to halt all activities in the country,” the PGR remarked.

It states that “even observing the social disorder and destruction of public and private property, they continued to instigate protest movements and announce the practice of more severe acts against the Mozambican state”, demanding compensation of 32,377,276.46 meticais (€445,000).

On March 11, the PGR imposed an identity and residence order on Mondlane, in a case in which the public prosecutor accuses Mondlane of inciting violence in the post-election demonstrations.

“This means that I cannot travel without notifying the PGR, I cannot stay away from my home for more than five days,” explained the politician at the time, as he left the premises where he was questioned for more than ten hours on just one of the eight cases in which he is being targeted in the context of the post-election protests.

READ: Mozambique: Venâncio Mondlane among ‘defendants’ accused of ‘conspiracy’ – Lusa report

Mozambique: Prosecutors seek €480,000 from Mondlane in protest damages

Mozambique: PGR files civil lawsuit against Venâncio Mondlane and Podemos – AIM report

After several months of social unrest and demonstrations contesting the election results which led to looting, destruction of public and private property and around 400 deaths, the elected head of state and Venâncio Mondlane met for the first time on March 23, in Maputo, and agreed to pacify the country, repeating the meeting on May 20.

Source: Lusa