By António Cumbane
Maputo (MOZTIMES) – Traffic along Mozambique’s main north-south highway (EN1) remains restricted due to demonstrations at key points, according to some sources on the ground.
On Friday, although there are no longer any clashes between police and demonstrators, the remains of the barricades thrown up the previous day can still be clearly seen in the village of Mangungumete, in Inhassoro district, Inhambane province. This was where the police shot dead three people, and the angry crowd dragged boulders onto the road to halt all traffic.
In other parts of Morrumbene and Massinga districts, demonstrators had seized control of parts of EN1 to protest against the preliminary results from the 9 October general elections, widely regarded as fraudulent, which gave victory to the ruling Frelimo Party and its presidential candidate, Daniel Chapo.
Police vehicles, including from the Rapid Intervention Unit (the Riot Police), are moving constantly along EN1, but there are not enough of them to end the demonstrations, and so traffic along the only road linking the north and south of the country remains halting at best.
Life has returned to normal in Mangungumete village, after Thursday’s violence in which three people died, one of them a member of the police, and the police post was burnt down.
The demonstrators also released an unknown number of prisoners from the police cells, looted informal shops, and seized two AK-47 assault rifles.
A local source told MOZTIMES on Friday that “life is back to normal in Mangungumete. Police reinforcements arrived and now the Rapid Intervention Unit and other forces are on the ground. Vehicles are circulating in both directions”.
“Despite the looting, shops have opened”, said this source. “The public is still scared because of what happened on Thursday”.
According to the police, the two guns seized on Thursday have been recovered. “The police had to be reinforced to avoid anything worse”, said our source, speaking on conditions of anonymity.
There are also reports of injuries suffered by looters when the police opened fire on them with live ammunition.
At Mangungumete there is the Temane crossroads leading to the site where the South African company Sasol is exploiting natural gas. It is a place clearly undergoing development, but much of this was destroyed by the demonstrators on Thursday. (AC)
