The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Inhambane, southern Mozambique, demanded more than four million meticais (€60,000) from former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane and the Podemos party on Monday for damage caused in the province during post-election protests.
“The damage caused at the time the lawsuit was filed with the Inhambane Provincial Court was 4,125,505 meticais,” said Pompílio Xavier, the magistrate of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Inhambane, during a press conference, “at the time the lawsuit was filed, on 29 November”.
He said the Public Prosecutor’s Office filed the civil suit against Venâncio Mondlane and the Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos) for damage caused during the demonstrations to contest the general elections’ results on 9 October.
Among this damage, he mentioned the vandalisation of state vehicles, two electricity transformer stations and administrative offices, and damage along National Roads 1 and 5 valued at more than 2.8 million meticais (€42,000).
“It’s a civil liability action, as the name implies because we understand that there are facts there that were committed directly or indirectly by the people against whom we are bringing this action,” said Pompílio Xavier, adding that it is the responsibility of the Public Prosecutor’s Office to ensure compliance with the rules in force in the country.
“We cannot, under any circumstances, watch public property being destroyed and, because of our constitutional and legal duties, go unpunished. On behalf of the Mozambican state, we are going to act, and we are acting to hold all those people accountable, regardless of who they are, who destroy property that belongs to all of us as a society,” he said.
Pompílio Xavier warned, however, that the amount demanded of Mondlane and Podemos should be reviewed and updated in the light of further protests that took place after the petition was filed on 29 November and which caused further damage to the Mozambican state, including the destruction of tolls along National Road 1 between December and January.
“This damage caused by the tolls had not yet been included in the petition that was filed, so we will need to review the values of the damage caused to the Mozambican state,” said the source.
The Inhambane provincial prosecutor’s magistrate clarified that “no criminal proceedings have yet been initiated” against Venâncio Mondlane, commenting on messages circulating on social media, asking that “more fuel be put on the fire”.
“We all know the situation our country is in. There’s no point in continuing to stir people up, broadcasting things that aren’t true because we’re only instigating people to more violence, more bloodshed and more discrediting of state institutions,” he concluded.
Mozambique has been experiencing severe social unrest since 21 October. Former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who rejected the election results of 9 October, called for demonstrations and stoppages.
The protests, now on a smaller scale, have occurred in different parts of the country. In addition to contesting the results, people are complaining about the rising cost of living and other social problems.
Since October, at least 327 people have died, including around two dozen minors, and around 750 have been shot during the protests, according to the electoral platform Decide, a non-governmental organisation that monitors electoral processes.
Lusa
