by Noemia Mendes
Maputo ( MOZTIMES) – Rioters have destroyed the strongbox and stolen money from a branch of the BCI bank in the Maputo neighbourhood of George Dimitrov and broke into the ATM of the BCI branch at the Galp petrol station in the Choupal neighbourhood. They also burnt down the BIM branch in Choupal.
After the proclamation of the results of the 9 October general elections by the Constitutional Council, confirming the victory of the ruling Frelimo Party and its presidential candidate Daniel Chapo, rioters in the Maputo urban district of Kamubukwana destroyed public and private property.
Joaquim Salimo, a resident of Choupal, said that, after the proclamation of the results, the protesters invaded the Galp petrol stations in the Choupal and 25 June neighbourhoods and destroyed the fuel pumps. They stole all the goods that were on sale and the safe containing money.
“On Monday they invaded these petrol stations and destroyed everything”, he said. “They took the safe and went to hide somewhere where they could try to open it”. They also stole all the bottles of cooking gas that were on sale.
One rioter, Alberto Macie, said they destroyed the branch of the Millennium-BIM bank in Choupal, and the BCI branch in the Benfica neighbourhood.
An eye-witness, who requested anonymity, said that on Tuesday afternoon the looters took the safe from the Benfica BCI branch, and tried to open it in a nearby field.
Rioters also burnt down the Kamubukwana district administration on Monday. Some of them told MOZTIMES that, during the early morning, two white cars opened fire with live ammunition along Avenida de Moçambique in Choupal, hitting a young woman, who was immediately taken to hospital.
“There were two unidentified cars opening fire”, said this witness. “I couldn’t recognise who was in the cars, but they shot a young woman who was taken to hospital”. (NM)
