By Sheila Nhancale
Maputo (MOZTIMES) – Joel Amaral, political activist and national mobiliser for opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane, was shot on Sunday afternoon in the neighbourhood of Coloane, in the city of Quelimane, Zambézia province. The information was confirmed to MOZTIMES by Abdul Nariz, from Mondlane’s communications and media office.
According to the source, Amaral was shot once in the head and twice in the lower limbs. He is currently hospitalised at Quelimane Central Hospital. His family members report that his condition is critical due to the head injury.
The attack on Joel Amaral comes just weeks after a meeting between President Daniel Chapo and former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, during which the latter announced a consensus with the Head of State to end post-election violence and promote national reconciliation.
Mondlane reacted to the attack on his ally, describing it as an act of political violence.
“There is no doubt that this cowardly act is a clear example of the political intolerance that permeates our country,” Mondlane wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday.
“The persecution of our members and of any citizen exercising their right to free expression must end. It is time to unite against violence and oppression, and to demand a Mozambique where everyone can live in safety and dignity,” he added.
Eyewitnesses report that the attackers were travelling in a white pick-up truck of an unidentified make. They opened fire on Amaral outside a local shop known as “Loja Benedido”. After the shooting, the assailants immediately fled the scene.
So far, there has been no official confirmation regarding the identity of the perpetrators or the motives behind the attack.
Joel Amaral is also a musician and has been an active figure in the campaigns of Mondlane’s movement, having composed mobilisation songs during the run-up to the general elections of October 2024.
President Daniel Chapo condemned the attack on Joel Amaral on Sunday night, describing it as “an affront to democracy and the principles of the rule of law.”
In a statement issued by the Presidential Office, Chapo characterised the incident as an act of “gratuitous violence” and called on the competent authorities to ensure a thorough investigation. “We must never allow fear to take hold in Mozambique (…). This reprehensible act must be fully clarified by the competent authorities, and the law must be enforced,” the statement reads. (SN)
(Updated with comments from President Daniel Chapo)
