President of the Zambezia Provincial Assembly says he lives in a climate of fear

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President of the Zambezia Provincial Assembly says he lives in a climate of fear

2:20 CAT | 06 Oct 2016

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The president of the Zambezia provincial assembly, Betinho Jaime, says he and his family were attacked in his official residence during the night, and claims he has no security in place.

The violence arising from the political and military crisis in Mozambique has been characterised by attacks on civilian targets and defence and security forces in the centre and north of the country. The latest target was the president of the Zambezia provincial assembly, Betinho Jaime, who claims to have suffered an attempted break-in at his official residence, something he says would never have happened to his predecessors.

In an interview with DW Africa, Jaime, a member of the Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO), relived the moments of terror he and his family experienced in their own home.

“They hit the door, but the door did not open. The lock held, although the door cracked. When that happened, I turned on the lights, grabbed my children and put them under the bed, put my wife in the wardrobe and stayed there alone. I did not go out, fearing the worst would happen,” Jaime related.

Safety

Mosambik RENAMO Gewalt in Nhampoca (DW/A. Sebastiao)

Police say they have no knowledge of any such events, and that the president of the Zambezia provincial assembly had not, as of yesterday, reported any such occurrence. Police spokesman Jacinto Felix advises Jaime to go to the nearest police station to report the threats to his safety and that of his family.

“We are not aware of this occurrence. We became aware of this case only via the press. We advise citizens to go to police station to report all such cases,” Felix told our reporter.

Jaime regrets that he no longer has police security, adding that this security, which is guaranteed by law, was previously effectively carried out. But now, according to the Betinho, there are no police at the checkpoint.

The provincial police chief denies this. “This information is inconceivable, because this citizen, seeing that the police were allocated to be there to protect him and cannot protect him, has to go to report at the police station where the police leave from. And now the citizen has police security, but feels insecure about the police presence. It is complicated and very complicated.”

To work in a climate of fear

After the attempted break-in, Jaime says he is worried and scared but will not stop working for the Zambezia provincial assembly and “still less for Renamo”.

“Right now, I am living in fear. You do not go out like used to. I go from home to work and back and am totally frightened, but whatever happens I will not stop working. I am ready to face whatever may come,” Jaime said.

Jaime was elected President of the Zambezia provincial assembly in the general elections of 2014. He replaced Joao Catemba Chuacuamba of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) who held the office for five years.

The central region of Mozambique has been the most affected by clashes between the armed wing of Renamo and defence and security forces in recent months, as well as mutual allegations of abductions and assassination of political leaders of both parties.

Renamo does not accept the results of the general elections of 2014 and demands to govern in the provinces of Sofala, Tete, Manica and Zambezia in central Mozambique and Niassa and Nampula in the north.

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