Politician Venâncio Mondlane, who led the opposition to the results of the October 9, 2024, general elections, has been named a suspect in yet another case brought by the District Attorney’s Office of Cuamba, in Niassa province, northern Mozambique, following the post-election protests.
The information was revealed by the former presidential candidate through a message posted on his official Facebook page, where he explained that the notification was justified by “strong suspicions” that he is the author of crimes including incitement to mass disobedience, false accusation, and defamation of the President of the Republic.
In the post, Mondlane also criticized the decision by the District Attorney’s Office of Zavala, in Inhambane province (southern Mozambique), to shelve a complaint he filed about an alleged “assassination attempt” that he claimed was being prepared by a police officer who had infiltrated his personal security team. “Today, while I was having lunch at home, I received a notice that the case was shelved — meaning, in the case where I was the victim of an attack, the case is closed. In the cases where I am suspected, I am immediately made a suspect,” he wrote.
In November last year, the Public Prosecutor’s Office issued a document demanding $501,000 (32.3 million meticais) in compensation for the damage caused by the mass protests that took place earlier in the year. The civil action was directed at former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane. “Even after warnings and summons issued by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the co-defendants [Venâncio Mondlane and Albino Forquilha, president of Podemos] continued calling for and urging mass participation in the protests, inciting citizens to rage and to bring the country to a standstill,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, in March, the Attorney General’s Office imposed identity and residence restrictions on Mondlane in a case where the Public Prosecutor accuses him of inciting violence during the post-election protests, which resulted in the deaths of more than 300 Mozambicans.
“A punitive and restrictive measure was applied to me. This means I cannot travel without notifying the Attorney General’s Office, and I cannot be away from my home for more than five days,” Mondlane explained, moments after being questioned by authorities for over ten hours.
After several months of social unrest and protests against the election results — which saw the victory of Daniel Chapo and the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) — leading to looting, destruction of public and private property, and around 400 deaths, the elected head of state and Venâncio Mondlane met for the first time on March 23 in Maputo and agreed on a plan to pacify the country. They met again on May 20.
Source: Diário Económico
