Mozambique Elections: Government accuses Mondlane of being the mastermind behind protests – Carta

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Mozambique Elections: Government accuses Mondlane of being the mastermind behind protests – Carta

1:38 CAT | 30 Oct 2024

Screen grab: TV StrongLive

The Mozambican government is accusing presidential candidate Venâncio António Bila Mondlane of being the mastermind behind the violent protests that took place across the country last week, particularly in the cities of Maputo and Matola.

The disturbances culminated in the deaths of at least 11 people, left dozens injured (including police officers) and saw the destruction of public and private infrastructure, including police stations and Frelimo party headquarters, throughout almost the entire country.

The accusation was made on Tuesday by the Minister of the Interior, Pascoal Ronda, almost 24 hours after the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM), through the General Command, announced the opening of criminal proceedings against Venâncio Mondlane (despite the fact that the jurisdiction for opening a criminal proceeding is reserved for the Public Prosecutor’s Office).

“Venâncio Mondlane is the moral author of these demonstrations. He is the one who is driving this. He is not here now, he is in South Africa, but from there he commands, uses social media and we, as users of social media, cannot allow this, because it manipulates public opinion and causes destruction. There are many families who are crying over the damage that is being caused,” Ronda said, asking who benefited from the demonstrations.

Ronda said that there are already “legal procedures” in motion to hold Mondlane “accountable” for the acts of violence. Thousands of young people have joined the demonstrations, called by Mondlane to contest the election results and protest the murder of lawyer Elvino Dias and Podemos election representative Paulo Guambe.

“The Public Prosecutor’s Office has already drawn up legal procedures relating to the principals and perpetrators [autores morais e materiais], who must, by law, be held accountable for their actions,” Ronda said, stressing that the Defence and Security Forces would continue to fulfil their mission “so that the free movement of people and goods continues to be a regularity in our country”.

The minister stressed that the terror caused by the marches was “unforgivable”.

“Many young people here were dragged along by the voices of people who are the principals [autores morais] of this problem. To whom goes the invoice for the resulting damage?” he asked.

Ronda said he condemned the violent demonstrations, but also the alleged exploitation of young people and children, because, “as we know, nothing is built, but rather what has cost people sweat and taxes for a long time is destroyed”. He therefore called on people not to join the demonstrations “because they do not help in any way”.

The Minister of the Interior did not make any comments on the actions of the police, who are considered by some equally responsible for the escalation of violence in the country, especially in large urban centres.

The police Rapid Intervention Unit was responsible for acts of violence witnessed last Monday in Maputo City, after firing tear gas at protesters as a way of preventing the march condemning the murder of Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe. One of the gas canisters was fired at journalists who were interviewing presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane.

Likewise, the police were considered responsible for the riots witnessed in the district of Mecanhelas, Niassa province, which occurred on Saturday and resulted in one death and five injured. Across almost the entire country, the police have been accused of firing live ammunition at protesters, in addition to carrying out arbitrary arrests.