Maputo: Prison services accuses Chiango leaders of interests in land deals – Mozambique

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Maputo: Prison services accuses Chiango leaders of interests in land deals – Mozambique

4:39 CAT | 04 Nov 2016

File photo / For illustrations purposes only

The Prevention and Management of Declared Violence Service (Servico de Prevenção e Gestão de Violência Declarada) claims that it is unaware of the charges of extortion made against its agents by residents of the Albazine neighbourhood in Maputo’s Chiango zone.

In a document signed by the National Director of the Office Alberto Burasse, the institution refutes the residents’ complaints and accuses local leaders of being unsatisfied with their installation in the neighbourhood because it blocked less transparent land deals.

The institution says that “it was not contacted by neighbourhood structures, much less by the alleged victims, with a complaint in relation to the action of the force”. After being approached by our reporter it tried in vain to contact neighbourhood structures and even went to the Albazine neighbourhood secretary’s office, but could not locate him.

Burasse added that, at his facility in the neighbourhood in April this year, he had clarified its mission, promised openness and cooperation with the community and exchanged contact details with community leaders for use in any emergency.

“We urge the leaders of the neighbourhood to report any abnormal action or action outside the law by the Prevention and Management of Declared Violence Service in good time for steps necessary to correct it to be taken,” the statement reads.

He also accuses neighbourhood leaders of bad faith. “A no less important fact is that the leaders of this neighbourhood are not reconciled to our presence here because we have blocked land use chicanery that was being attempted on land belonging to SERNAP and, despite this, they continue to seek to discredit the service.”

In the same document, the Prevention and Management of Declared Violence Service says that “statements made by the leader of the block and other members of the public were in bad faith because they did not present evidence of the officers involved in abuses”, but adds that, to be true, the service’s agents had to have acted outside operating standards. Finally, the institution says it is working to set up a new meeting with neighbourhood structures so that they can present any evidence with a view to action being taken.