Largest Mozambican newspaper facing distribution difficulties amidst post-election protests

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Largest Mozambican newspaper facing distribution difficulties amidst post-election protests

2:42 CAT | 10 Dec 2024

File photo: Rádio Moçambique

Sociedade Notícias, which publishes Mozambique’s largest newspaper, announced yesterday that it is “facing difficulties in distributing” its three print titles because of the “violent demonstrations” taking place after the elections across the country.

“The situation is aggravated by the limitations on the import of raw materials for printing, namely paper, inks and plates,” from neighboring South Africa, reads a statement published on the front page of the daily newspaper Notícias.

The document adds that as a “temporary solution to mitigate the impact of this situation”, and while “recognizing the importance that printed newspapers have for many” of its customers, Sociedade Notícias “is open” to providing access to the digital version of its three publications.

“The distribution of the newspapers ‘Notícias’, ‘Domingo’ and ‘Desafio’ in print will be resumed with the necessary normality throughout the country as soon as conditions allow,” the statement concludes.

At least 47 people were injured in clashes between protesters and police in the last five days of protests challenging the election results, Mozambican authorities announced on Monday, with 77 people also arrested. The figures indicate that 119 criminal proceedings have also been opened and submitted to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The Mozambican police recorded the destruction, using homemade bombs, of at least five police stations, four administrative posts, a notary services office, an invasion and vandalism of a penitentiary and arson attacks on four homes.

At least 103 people have died in post-election protests in Mozambique since October 21, according to the electoral platform ‘Decide’.

The President of the Republic of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, warned yesterday of the risk of “political solutions” in the face of the post-election tension characterized by demonstrations and strikes in the country, arguing that such political solutions entail the abandonment of the law.

“There is a language that you used in your introduction, that we need solutions of a political nature and not police or military ones, but you could also say not legal ones, because sometimes, when a political measure is taken, sometimes the law is abandoned and that law is what binds us,” argued President Filipe Nyusi in response to businesspeople who on Monday suggested political solutions to overcome the post-election crisis.

Nyusi told the country’s private business sector that he has held several meetings in search of solutions to the post-election crisis, in a scenario in which “many sensitivities conflict”.

“Laws are made by people, and we have to see when we go for one solution or another to avoid creating cyclical precedents at the level of our country. (…) The meetings we are holding tend to seek solutions and we can often be in a box, closed off, thinking that we have better solutions,” the president pointed out regarding the “political” solution proposed by the businessmen.

Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane called for a new phase of electoral protests lasting from 4 to 11 December in “all neighbourhoods” of Mozambique, with a stoppage of traffic from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
The announcement by the CNE on October 24, of the results of the October 9 elections, in which it attributed victory to Frelimo candidate Daniel Chapo with 70.67% of the votes, sparked popular protests, called by the also presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, which have degenerated into violent clashes with the police.

According to the CNE, Mondlane came in second place, with 20.32%, but Mondlane does not recognize the results, which still have to be validated and proclaimed by the Constitutional Council.

Source: Lusa