Venâncio Mondlane, foto arquivo
Maputo, 19 Mar (AIM) – The candidate for Mayor of Maputo for Mozambique’s main opposition party, Renamo, in last year’s municipal elections, Venancio Mondlane, on Monday filed a criminal complaint to the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) against the Renamo President, Ossufo Momade, and a member of parliament, whose identity was not revealed.
According to Mondlane, these two people were involved in acts of aggression and torture against two of his young supporters, in the northern province of Nampula.
He was referring to videos that went viral on social media, over the weekend, showing two young people being subjected to physical and psychological torture, allegedly to prevent them from supporting Venâncio Mondlane.
Mondlane is questioning the authorities’ silence in the face of the situation.
“In these two cases, what has shocked me is the fact that they have been circulating for days on social media and no proceedings have been brought against the perpetrators. We also don’t know from the PGR, at local level in Nacala-Port and Mozambique Island, or even from the Mozambican Police (PRM), that they are investigating and trying to ascertain the motives and also to hold these criminals responsible”, Mondlane said.
According to Mondlane, there are indications that those individuals were tortured and kidnapped at the behest of Momade.
“There are also indications that the local mastermind is a member of the Mozambican parliament from Renamo”, he added.
Mondlane told reporters that he remains firm in his fight to become Renamo’s president, challenging the party leadership to hold a congress as soon as possible.
On the other hand, Renamo’s provincial delegate in the central province of Zambézia, Inácio Reis, cited by the independent daily “O País”, blamed Mondlane for the division inside Renamo.
“Venâncio Mondlane has proved he doesn’t have the competence to be in the party. He has been showing disrespect for the party’s bodies”, Reis said.
Recently, Mondlane went to court to stop the leadership of Momade, who has continued to sack provincial and district Renamo delegates even though his term of office has expired.
Momade was elected President of Renamo at a Congress held in January 2019. The Renamo statutes state that the Congress should be held every five years – so there should have been another Renamo congress in January of this year.
But none was held, and the term of office of Momade expired on 17 January. Mondlane argues that all decisions taken by Momade since that date should be regarded as null and void.
(AIM)
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