At least nineteen courts were vandalized and, in some cases, completely destroyed during the wave of protests triggered after the 2024 general elections, revealed Matilde de Almeida, Vice-President of the Supreme Court (TS), on Saturday (5) in the city of Nampula.
During a working visit to the northern region of the country, Matilde de Almeida stated that “we have suffered a major setback due to the vandalism affecting 19 courts across the country. We have already conducted some assessments, and others are still ongoing, regarding the costs involved.”
The destruction was concentrated mainly in the Zambézia province, where eight judicial headquarters suffered such damage that they will have to be rebuilt. This was followed by Maputo, with five courts affected; Nampula, with four; and Gaza, with two. In Manhiça, the district court building “was completely destroyed,” while in Liúpo, in the city of Nampula, “the magistrates’ houses are in such a condition that they cannot be used,” explained the Vice-President of the TS.
To ensure the continuity of justice administration, provisional spaces have been used, and judges who, although assigned to other provinces, regularly travel to the affected areas to conduct trials and receive cases. “In Liúpo, the judge works in the province but has been regularly going to her jurisdiction area due to the lack of adequate facilities,” clarified Matilde de Almeida.
By January 2025, the Supreme Court counted 18 damaged courts; the number increased as the protests extended until March, a crisis that reportedly caused the deaths of 400 civilians, according to human rights organizations, and 80 deaths according to the government.
In addition to the courts, 1,677 commercial establishments, 177 schools, and 23 health units were destroyed. The wave of protests, called by former candidate Venâncio Mondlane, challenged the election results that declared Daniel Chapo, supported by Frelimo, the winner. On March 5, the parliamentary parties signed a political agreement with the President of the Republic aiming at state reforms, later transformed into law. Mondlane and Chapo met on March 23 and again on May 21 to ease tensions and pacify the country.
The Vice-President of the Supreme Court now appeals for urgent reinforcement of resources to rehabilitate and rebuild the affected judicial headquarters, emphasizing that “some courts need to be newly constructed, given the degree of destruction observed.” This restoration is considered urgent to ensure access to justice and restore confidence in the rule of law.
Source: Lusa
