Prime Minister Maria Benvinda Levi said on Wednesday 9 April that almost a thousand commercial establishments and social spaces were vandalised and destroyed during the post-election protests in Mozambique, causing damage estimated at 32.2 billion meticals (500 million dollars) and leaving 50,000 people unemployed.
‘During the violent demonstrations, more than 955 economic and social establishments were destroyed, which led to the unemployment of around 50,000 people, a figure that could rise even further,’ she said, speaking in Parliament, where the government is briefing MPs.
She added that the vandalisation and destruction of private property had affected the country’s economy, as well as restricting the movement of people and goods, indicating that the Executive is already implementing actions to recover the business environment.
‘Due to the post-election unrest, our economy contracted in the fourth quarter of 2024, going against the growth trend it had been registering in the first, second and third quarters, which stood at 3.2 per cent, 4.5 per cent and 3.68 per cent respectively,’ she added.
Clashes with the police caused more than 300 deaths during demonstrations in Mozambique
She also admitted that the national economy was severely affected by the rainy season, especially when cyclones Chido, Jude and Dikeledi struck between December and March, destroying property and killing people.
For more than two months, Mozambique has lived in a climate of strong social unrest, with demonstrations and stoppages called by former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who rejects the election results of 9 October, which gave victory to Daniel Chapo and the Frelimo party.
On the other hand, official figures indicate that between December 2024 and March 2025, the country has already been hit by three cyclones, which, in addition to destroying thousands of homes and public and private infrastructure, also caused more than 175 deaths in the North and Centre regions.
According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), between 2019-23, extreme events such as cyclones and storms caused at least 1,016 deaths and affected more than 4 million people.
Mozambique is considered one of the countries most severely affected by global climate change, facing cyclical floods and tropical cyclones during the rainy season, but also prolonged periods of severe drought.
