Sources close to the Podemos presidential candidate, Venâncio Mondlane, guarantee that he is ‘safe’ and ‘in good health’ after the riots that took place during the march that took place in Maputo city as part of his return to the country.
‘He’s safe, he’s staying in Maputo. He’s fine,’ a source told Lusa, putting an end to the speculation created by the politician’s supporters about his whereabouts.
Mondlane, who returned to the country after more than two months abroad, landed at Maputo International Airport at around 8.20am and was greeted by a euphoric crowd who accompanied him to the Estrela Market area, in the heart of the capital. Along the way, there were chants and slogans demanding that the electoral truth be restored.
At around 10am, in the Estrela Market, Mondlane climbed onto a sound car to address his supporters. In his speech, he reaffirmed that he did not recognise the results of the 9 October general elections and declared that he would continue to fight for the will of the people to be respected. In a symbolic gesture, he took an oath, reinforcing his position of resistance. The atmosphere, which until then had been peaceful, began to change when police forces began to strategically position themselves at the accesses to the area.
Speaking to journalists at the airport, Mondlane accused the Mozambican authorities of carrying out ‘a kind of silent genocide’ in their repression of the contestation of the results of the 9 October general elections, but expressed his willingness to engage in dialogue and negotiate.
The candidate justified his return with the fact that he couldn’t remain outside the country when the people ‘are being massacred.’
The clashes on Thursday 9 January are part of a wider context of protests that have rocked Mozambique since the election results were announced. According to civil society organisations, since 21 October almost 300 people have lost their lives and more than 500 have been injured in clashes with the security forces.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office has already brought charges against Mondlane, accusing him of being the moral author of the demonstrations that resulted in the destruction of public infrastructure in Maputo province, estimated at more than 138 million meticals.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court clarified that there is no arrest warrant against Mondlane, despite the formal charges. On 23 December, the Constitutional Council proclaimed Daniel Chapo, the candidate of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo), as the winner of the presidential elections, with 65.17% of the votes, consolidating the ruling party’s parliamentary majority.
The repression of the demonstrations continues to raise questions about the current democratic environment in Mozambique and the future of political stability in the country.
