At least three people died and 66 were injured during clashes between demonstrators and the police on Thursday (7), the eighth day of the strikes called by Venâncio Mondlane, announced the Maputo Central Hospital (HCM), the country’s largest unit.
‘Yesterday, the 7th, we had a cumulative of 138 admissions to all our entrance doors, of which the adult emergency department had 101 patients. Of these, 66 were victims of the demonstrations and the rest were due to other causes,’ said the director of the HCM Adult Emergency Service, Dino Lopes, in statements to the media.
He also said that at least three people lost their lives on Thursday as a result of the demonstrations. ‘Of the 66 injured, we had 57 with injuries possibly caused by firearms, four by falls, three by physical aggression and two injured with bladed weapons,’ added the head of the HCM, quoted by Lusa.
The source also said that of all the injured, four patients are in serious condition, of which two required surgery and one is in intensive care in the country’s largest hospital unit.
Among the victims, said Dino Lopes, the largest group, with 34 injured, are aged between 25 and 35, followed by 17 injured between the ages of 15 and 25, on a day when the HCM claims not to have received any children injured as a result of the demonstrations.
To meet the demand, said Dino Lopes, the HCM relied on the contribution of medical students from the Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM) and the Higher Institute of Science and Technology of Mozambique (ISCTEM), as well as doctors from other health units and non-governmental organisations who volunteered to help with patient care.
The announcement by Mozambique’s National Electoral Commission (CNE) on 24 October of the results of the 9 October elections, in which it awarded victory to Daniel Chapo, supported by the Mozambican Liberation Front (Frelimo, the party in power since 1975) in the election for Mozambican President, with 70.67% of the votes, sparked popular protests called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane.
According to the CNE, Mondlane came second with 20.32%, but the latter said he did not recognise the results, which still have to be validated and proclaimed by the Constitutional Council.
Following street protests that brought the country to a standstill, Mondlane once again called on the population for a seven-day general strike from 31 October, with national protests and a demonstration in Maputo previously called for this Thursday, 7 November.
Venâncio Mondlane, who does not recognise the announced results of the 9 October general elections in Mozambique, announced that the protest demonstrations are to continue until the electoral truth is restored.
