Mozambique: Young man shot dead and his brother run over by the police

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Mozambique: Young man shot dead and his brother run over by the police

2:32 CAT | 13 Nov 2024

Photo: O País

A 29-year-old man died after allegedly being shot by plainclothes police officers while sitting in front of his house in Maputo’s Mahotas neighbourhood last Thursday (07-11).

According to witnesses, Jonas Tembe was shot twice, once in the waist and once through the back and neck, and died at the scene.

“A car came and armed men got out and went up to Jonas. He got up and ran, but was shot here (in the waist). He kept running, jumped over the wall, but was shot in the back and the bullet exited through his neck and he fell into that house,” said Sónia Sitoe, the victim’s mother.

As Sónia explained, the police, who were in plainclothes, did not give any explanation as to the reasons, which generated popular outrage, making it necessary for uniformed officers to intervene.

“Their colleagues arrived here in a Mahindra and were going to take them away, but we wouldn’t let them. We demanded that they take the body away and that the others stay until they explained why they killed my son. But they forced their way into the car and sped off, running over my other son,” Sónia reported.

This was Jaime Tembe, who tried to stop the vehicle leaving. He suffered injuries to his back and legs. Now, he has difficulty moving around and talks about chest pains that make it difficult for him to breathe.

The family is now demanding justice, and says that they have gone to the police several times, without receiving any concrete response. Jonas was to be buried this Wednesday.

While this was happening in Mahotas, in the Maxaquene neighborhood, on Avenida Milagre Mabote, ‘Bruno’ (an alias) was shot five times in the legs and buttocks. He told ‘O País’ that, during the demonstration, there was a disagreement with the police, and he and some people took refuge in a backyard in the neighbourhood.

“The police came in, threw tear gas and started shooting. There were several shots – I felt the bullets piercing my body, I thought I wouldn’t survive. But then we asked the military for help, and they took us to the hospital,” he recalled.

Bruno said there were more than 10 injured people in the vehicle he was transported in.

Source: O País