– This is the third shooting incident involving members of the main opposition party since the 9th October elections.
By Ricardo Dias
Maputo (MOZTIMES) – A district delegate of Mozambique’s main opposition party, PODEMOS, was shot inside his home in Mocuba, Zambézia Province, on Thursday.
Xadreque Francisco was at home with his wife when three armed individuals broke into their house and fired multiple shots at him, PODEMOS spokesperson Duclésio Chico revealed in an interview on Friday.
The victim survived the attack and is currently recovering in a hospital.
On 8th November, Xadreque Francisco was handed a suspended prison sentence by a Mocuba court, accused of leading violent demonstrations against the election results in the district, according to the local newspaper Diário da Zambézia.
This is the second attack on a senior PODEMOS member in the same district within a week. Last Sunday, the party’s mobilisation secretary, Eugénio Madeira, was shot in the head near his home.
The assassination of key opposition figures is a frequent occurrence in Mozambique, especially during periods of political tension. Several Renamo leaders have been assassinated in recent years, including prominent figures such as Jeremias Pondeca, who was an MP and, at the time of his murder, a member of the Council of State – an advisory body to the President of the Republic – appointed by Renamo.
The central province of Zambézia has been an epicentre of protests against the election results. In Inhassunge, Morrumbala, and Ile, demonstrators attacked prisons and freed inmates. In Mocuba, the Frelimo party headquarters was destroyed by supporters of self-exiled opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane.
This marks the third time PODEMOS members have been targeted since the 9 October elections. Notable victims include Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe, a lawyer and representative of the party supporting Venâncio Mondlane, who were killed in a double homicide in central Maputo on 19 October.
Venâncio Mondlane, who contests the results of the general elections, claims he is being persecuted and targeted for assassination. He has been in hiding abroad since being attacked by police while addressing journalists in Maputo. (RD)
