Mozambique: Police seizure of alcohol from market sellers ‘illegal, moral catastrophe’ – Renamo

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Mozambique: Police seizure of alcohol from market sellers ‘illegal, moral catastrophe’ – Renamo

4:27 CAT | 21 Jan 2021

Photo: Rádio Enncontro Nampula

Renamo, the main opposition party, on Thursday described as a “moral catastrophe” and “illegal” the seizure by the police of food products from sellers who supposedly violated Covid-19 restrictions.

“This action, apart from being illegal, represents a moral catastrophe on the part of the police authorities, because the illegally seized products are the only source of income and food for those families,” said the Renamo spokesman in Maputo city, Ivan Mazanga.

Ivan Mazanga noted that the presidential decree imposing restrictions on economic activity in the fight against the new coronavirus did not determine the seizure of products from sellers who allegedly violated the restrictions.

“Failure to comply with the Covid-19 rules gives rise to fines, temporary suspension of activity or cancellation of licences, at no point does it mention the seizure of products, so we can clearly see that the law is being violated,” Mazanga said.

The spokesman for Renamo in Maputo criticised the fact that the police had not made any inventory of the seized products, “which will make it impossible for their legitimate owners to recover them”.

Renamo accused the President, Filipe Nyusi, and the Prime Minister, Carlos Agostinho do Rosário, of having violated the decree on Covid-19 restrictions by being present at the wake of musical entrepreneur Bang with more than 20 people, the minimum number authorised for ceremonies of this kind.

“It is not possible to leave unpunished those who have really broken the law, just because they are strong, and to punish those who have not broken the law illegally, just because they are weak”, stressed Mazanga.

On Tuesday, the Mozambican Bar Association (OAM) considered “theft” the “illegal” seizure by the police of alcoholic drinks from vendors who supposedly violated the restrictions imposed by the government.

In a statement to Lusa, the president of the Human Rights Commission of the OAM, Feroza Zacarias, said that the police did not provide evidence that they used duly substantiated terms of seizure of the products they confiscated in several places in Maputo or that the goods were placed in such a way that each owner could identify his assets.

“What we saw was an action directed at the seizure of alcoholic beverages at grocery stores, in total disregard of the law. What the police did is more like robbery,” said Feroza Zacarias.

The police also have no evidence that the goods seized during the weekend were sent to the police premises.

She pointed out that the measures imposed as part of the prevention of the pandemic do not provide for the seizure of goods at points of sale, but only for the imposition of fines or the closure of establishments in breach of restrictions.

Last weekend, images appeared of police officers removing alcohol from small grocery stores operating inside markets in Maputo for alleged violation of Covid-19 prevention rules.

Source: Lusa