Mozambique: Traffic stops in Maputo to protest against election results – photos

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Mozambique: Traffic stops in Maputo to protest against election results – photos

3:50 CAT | 20 Nov 2024

All photos: Luisa Nhantumbo/Lusa

Horn blaring took over the streets of Maputo on Wednesday, with traffic at a standstill amid whistles and protests against the results announced from the October general elections, responding to presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane’s call for three days of mourning.

“I’m here to fulfil what our ‘President’ said, that we have to be here honking our horns, expressing ourselves against what happened to our brothers, who were killed. We’re here to show that we’re in mourning, it breaks our hearts,” explained Helton Magagule, who stopped his car on Avenida Vladmir Lenine, at the entrance to the Maxaquene neighbourhood, to join the horn that blocked traffic for 15 minutes as it did on several other streets at the same time.

This new phase of protests was called by Venâncio Mondlane, who does not recognise the results announced by the National Electoral Commission (CNE). Hundreds of people responded by taking to the streets of the capital, dressed in black, or stopping their vehicles in the middle of traffic for 15 minutes, starting at 12:00 local time.

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The action, for 20, 21 and 22 November across the country, the candidate explained, is in mourning for the victims, protesters – according to the candidate, a total of 50 have died in recent days – who took part in previous protest actions, he said, “shot by the authorities who were supposed to protect them”.

As the cars, lorries and public transport vehicles began to stop in the street, amid generalised honking, many left the shops and public institutions to gather on the pavement, dressed in black, some with placards, chanting in support of Venâncio Mondlane.

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“The country is in a bad way, so we stopped the cars. Look how bad it is,” said Velemo Sitoe, who also joined the protest near the Mozambican Women’s Organisation Square, which continued along Joaquim Chissano Avenue.

With traffic at a standstill, some people climbed onto the roofs of their vehicles to raise their voices in protest, others banged drums and pots and pans, and the police stood by but did not intervene in any way. After 15 minutes, traffic gradually began to return to normal, although the sound of horns and whistles remained in the background.

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“I’m here for the struggle, the truth, and the development of our country. We’re tired of being enslaved,” Cristiano Messer said during the protest, adding: “The struggle continues, we’re not going to suffer like this.”

The stopped cars and the honking spread to other central Maputo arteries, such as Avenida de Moçambique, Karl Max, 24 de Julho, Eduardo Mondlane, Mercado Estrela, and the Alto Maé neighbourhood.

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During these three days, Venâncio Mondlane also appealed to the population to maintain the noisy night-time protests of recent days, banging pots and pans and other instruments, but “without marches”, sticking to the doorstep or the block, because of the “infiltrators” and “vandals” in these protests.

“Our demonstration will be in black, banging pots and raising placards. We won’t pick up any sticks, machetes or blunt objects,” he said.

“It’s the tribute we want to pay to those who died,” he said, acknowledging: “Apparently, we’re lowering our intensity, but we’re in mourning.”

He said that the 50 victims of police action in demonstrations since 21 October “died like heroes, like martyrs of a revolution”.

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Venâncio Mondlane disputes the attribution of victory to Daniel Chapo, the candidate supported by the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo), with 70.67% of the vote, according to the results announced on 24 October by the CNE and which have yet to be validated by the Constitutional Council.

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