More deaths amid post-poll strife in Mozambique

Post-election protests in Mozambique are expected to intensify this week as the death toll rises with seven more people allegedly killed by security forces, Human Rights Watch says.

Citizens have taken to the streets since late last month in protest over the election results, which saw governing party Frelimo extend its 49-year rule with a disputed 70.67% of the vote.

Civil society groups, opposition candidates and election observers, including some from the EU, noted irregularities and said the elections were rigged.

Tensions rose when Elvino Dias, lawyer for opposition candidate Venâncio Mondlane, was shot dead along with an official from the party while they were in a car in Maputo, a few days after the vote.

Mondlane, who came second as an independent candidate with support from the party Podemos, called for nationwide peaceful protests from October 31.

While it was reported last week that 11 people were killed due to gunshots by security personnel, this number has since risen according to Human Rights Watch advocacy director Allan Ngari.

“Another seven people were killed this week, reportedly by security forces, and many more injured by live bullets. That is the challenge — that police are using live ammunition,” said Ngari.

The protests are expected to intensify later this week as Mondlane called for the third phase of the protest: a march to Maputo on Thursday.

The Podemos party had also filed an appeal against the results with the Constitutional Council. It claimed it won 53% of the vote and 138 parliamentary seats, then submitted volumes of documents in support of a 100-page legal challenge to the election results.

Ngari said it was expected the situation would worsen in the next few days.

“On Sunday we saw Mondlane’s statement that the protest was continuing. We are hoping the court will make a decision,” he said. 

Since then, police have been dispersing crowds all over the country by opening fire and using teargas against protesters.

Video footage showed small children running out of the Castro Teofilo school in Tete as police reportedly threw teargas on to the school grounds.

Internet coverage continues to be limited after a temporary internet blackout was imposed a day after the election results were announced.

According to internet watchdog NetBlock on Tuesday, the “curfew-style” mobile internet blackouts continued for two consecutive days.

Another protest was held in Ressano Garcia, where truck drivers were forced to block the road and cars were not permitted to and from SA.

Travellers are being encouraged to postpone their trips rather than cancel them, the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (Satsa) and Africa’s Eden Tourism said.

Those travelling into Mozambique might experience interruptions at the Lebombo/Ressano Garcia border post, potential business disruptions and possibly a security force presence, Satsa said.

Meanwhile, Mondlane went on to social media again on Monday to say in a live video that he had managed to escape an assassination attempt in Johannesburg. He said he had taken refuge in Sandton but assassins were “at my door to kill me”. 

“I had to jump out of the back door, slip out through a hair salon and run with my bags and my family,” he said.

However, the department of international relations said there were no records of Mondlane being in SA and that such an incident should have been reported to the police.

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