- Venâncio Mondlane called mass demonstrations to oppose the election fraud and instructed his supporters to defend themselves against police violence.
By Sheila Nhancale, Neusa Chiunguete and Noemia Mendes
Maputo (MOZTIMES) – The Mozambican police have announced that it is opening criminal proceedings against opposition presidential candidate, Venâncio Mondlane.
The police accuse him of being the moral author of a series of “illegal and violent” demonstrations in several parts of the country. Mondlane has been a fugitive for the past week. He went into hiding after he was attacked by tear gas grenades fired by the police.
The opening of criminal proceedings followed serious clashes between the police and the public last Sunday in Chalaua, in Moma district, Nampula province. The clashes resulted in “21 members of the police injured, one death, two members of the PRM kidnapped, three vehicles damaged, two houses and one police post set on fire”, according to the national police spokesperson, Orlando Mudumane, who was speaking at a press conference on Monday night, in the capital, Maputo.
According to Orlando Mudumane, the violent demonstrations “came in response to the calls which the citizen Venâncio Mondlane has made, openly and deliberately, to his supporters to promote such acts".
Mudumane explained that the Chalaua case happened when there was a collision between supporters of PODEMOS (the party that supported the presidential bid of Venâncio Mondlane) and of the ruling Frelimo Party. When the police tried to attend to the situation, "the PODEMOS members attacked the police forcefully and they set fire to the operational vehicle, the police post, the office of the Frelimo Party, and the home if its secretary”.
"The police condemn the calling of illegal demonstrations, characterised by the use of children to loot, to burn tyres, to set vehicles on fire, to block access routes, and to use home-made explosive devices", said Mudumane.
The police demanded the return of an AK-47 rifle, supposedly stolen during the attack on the Chalaua police post by the PODEMOS members and supporters, and compared these acts to “terrorist practices".
Clashes between the police and demonstrators are frequent and the police have shown that they are incapable of dealing with the demonstrators peacefully. Instead, they have often resorted to brutal violence, such as the use of firearms and of tear gas grenades against the protestors which has led to deaths and injuries.
On the Saturday before the events in Moma, police agents opened fire against PODEMOS supporters when they confronted Frelimo supporters in Mecanhelas district, Niassa province. In this incident, at least four people were seriously injured by real bullets fired by the police.
Mudumane did not want to speak about the incident in Mecanhelas. After reading the statement about the events in Moma, he left the press room without answering questions from the journalists. (SN, NC and NM)
