Mozambique: Police open criminal proceedings against Venâncio Mondlane – AIM | Watch

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Mozambique: Police open criminal proceedings against Venâncio Mondlane – AIM | Watch

7:12 CAT | 29 Oct 2024

Screen grab: Miramar

The Mozambican Police (PRM) has opened criminal proceedings against independent presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane and his supporters for allegedly being responsible for “the post-election violence that the country is facing.”

Last week, the country was hit by three days of strikes and protests called by Mondlane, in order to protest against “electoral fraud”, and against the kidnappings that have affected the Mozambican business community.

The demonstrations, which took place last Monday, Thursday and Friday, were also intended to protest against the murder of Mondlane’s lawyer, Elvino Dias, and Paulo Guambe, an election agent for the opposition party Podemos.

In some regions of the country, the demonstrations caused clashes between the police and protesters. The police used tear gas, rubber bullets and even live ammunition against the protestors.

Demonstrators blocked roads with barricades and piles of blazing tyres. Despite Mondlane’s call on his supporters to not to damage property, some of the rioters looted shops.

According to the national Police spokesperson, Orlando Mudumane, speaking to reporters on Monday, in Maputo, “the Police have opened criminal proceedings against Venâncio Mondlane and his supporters for the crimes of setting fire to a police station, possession of an AK-47 firearm, in Moma district, northern province of Nampula.”

He was referring to a clash in the Chalaua administrative post, in the Nampula district of Moma. According to the police, the trouble began when a group of PODEMOS supporters tried to prevent a march by Frelimo Party members. In the ensuing clashes, the crowd set fire to a police post and vehicle, the local offices of the Frelimo Party, and the houses of the Party secretary and a member of the community police.

Mudumane believes that these acts have thrown not only the district of Moma but also the entire province of Nampula into turmoil.

“The Police demands that Venâncio Mondlane and the PODEMOS party immediately return the AK-47 firearm that its members seized at the Chalaua police post”, Mudumane said.

He also said that the violent acts against police institutions resulted in the death of one police officer, and injuries to 21 others.

Mudumane urged members of the public “not to take part in acts of violence and public destruction.”

There has been a lull in the violence. Mondlane has promised a “third phase” in the protests. He was to have given details in a live broadcast over Facebook on Monday night.

But the broadcast never happened. Instead Mondlane sent his followers a message saying he was having “technical problems” with his Facebook feed, and promised that the broadcast would happen at some unspecified time on Tuesday.

Sceptics believe that a more likely reason for the postponement is that Mondlane has been involved in tentative talks with Frelimo. Both the Frelimo presidential candidate, Daniel Chapo, whom the National Elections Commission (CNE) declared the winner of the election, and Mondlane have expressed a willingness to enter into dialogue, to cool down the political climate.

Mondlane is still in hiding, probably somewhere in South Africa. Since he is nowhere near Moma, it may be difficult for the police to blame him for the violence in Moma.