The new finance minister, Carla Louveira, in her first contact with the media, estimated the losses to the state resulting from last year’s disturbances and riots at 42 billion meticals (around 657 million dollars).
According to an article made public this Monday, 20 January, by the Agência de Informação de Moçambique, the riots stemmed from the results of the general elections announced by the Constitutional Council (CC) on 23 December.
Former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane called for peaceful demonstrations against the results, but the unrest quickly degenerated into destruction and looting.
Speaking to journalists shortly after being sworn in on Saturday (18), Louveira said that the final calculations for the 2024 tax collection were still being made, but initial indications were of damage totalling 42 billion meticals.
‘These losses cannot all be the result of the post-election crisis. In fact, the worst month in terms of riots, December, recorded damages of 14 billion meticals,’ she said.
The figures quoted by the minister only cover the state’s losses. The losses suffered by private companies, some of which were completely destroyed, were much higher.
‘One challenge we have is the need to restructure the payment of public debt, which has been jeopardised by the generalised destruction of public and private assets and the tax collection deficit. This makes it crucial to create new lines of financing just to pay for the current expenses necessary for the state to function,’ added Carla Louveira.
More than 300 people have died and over 600 have been shot in the post-election demonstrations since 21 October, called by Venâncio Mondlane (who does not recognise the results, claiming ‘electoral fraud’), which have degenerated into violence and the destruction of public and private infrastructure.
On 23 December, the Constitutional Council proclaimed Daniel Chapo, the candidate supported by the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo), the winner of the presidential election, with 65.17% of the votes, as well as the victory of his party, which retained its parliamentary majority in the 9 October general elections.
This announcement provoked chaos, barricades, looting and clashes with the police throughout the country.
Last week, Mondlane demanded that the government adopt the 24 measures he announced for the next three months, threatening to resume demonstrations and street protests ‘more intensely’ if they were not implemented.
