– Head of State also speaks of subversion aimed at destabilising the country
By Ricardo Dias
Maputo (MOZTIMES) – President Daniel Chapo stated on Thursday that the demonstrations and rioting contesting the election results are a continuation of the terrorism that has afflicted Cabo Delgado province for nearly eight years.
Chapo also compared the unrest to the war of destabilisation that followed Mozambique’s political independence, driven by the minority regimes of the former Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, and of apartheid South Africa.
The President was speaking during the reception offered to the diplomatic corps accredited in Maputo, a traditional annual ceremony held at the Ponta Vermelha Palace to mark the beginning of the civil year.
“The post-election crisis, expressed through violent and illegal demonstrations, whose human and material consequences continue to be felt in the country, has nothing to do with election results, as is being proven with each passing day,” said Chapo. “The demonstrations are part of an agenda of subversion aimed at destabilising our country. It is a continuation of the terrorist attacks in Cabo Delgado and of the 16-year war that destabilised Mozambique”.
Chapo pointed out similarities between terrorist attacks and post-election protests. “They claimed [that terrorism] was due to unemployment in that region, but unemployment exists across the country. Yet, we only hear about terrorism in Cabo Delgado, where natural resources are located,” he said.
“Today, we are seeing the same pretext [for post-election protests], initially focused on election results, then on electoral truth, and now on the cost-of-living narrative. Tomorrow, we do not know what the narrative will be. But the objective remains the same: to kill Mozambicans, loot, and destroy public and private property, and strangle the economy in an attempt to push the country into collapse,” the President concluded.
Meanwhile, rioting and sabotage continued in various parts of the country, including road blockades, the closure of businesses and public services, and the destruction of FRELIMO party buildings.
On Monday, rioting brought Chókwè district, in Gaza province, to a standstill. Businesses were shut down, several public institutions were forced to close, and the FRELIMO party headquarters was looted, vandalised, and set on fire.
On Tuesday, protests erupted in Homoíne district, Inhambane province. The district administrator fled to an unknown location, while demonstrators seized public institutions, demanding a reduction in the prices of essential goods.
On Wednesday, protests took place in the town of Panda, also in Inhambane. Public services and businesses were forced to close as residents protested against the high enrolment fees charged at the local secondary school. Protesters held the school director hostage for some time before looting shops that had attempted to remain open.
On Thursday morning, in Maputo, demonstrators blocked traffic along the main north-south highway (EN1) in the Zimpeto and Missão Roque areas, protesting against the high cost of living. The police responded with force, but the situation remained chaotic. (RD)
