Maputo, 26 Jun (AIM) – Unidentified assailants on Wednesday morning kidnapped a 45 year old businessman of Asian origin in broad daylight, in central Maputo.
According to eyewitnesses, the victim, whose name was not revealed, owns a shop selling school material.
The kidnapping occurred at around 08.00, on the corner between Guerra Popular and Ho Chi Minh Avenues. This is about a kilometre from the Interior Ministry and from the Maputo City Police Command.
The armed kidnappers shot the victim’s bodyguard, who is in a serious condition in a Maputo hospital.
According to a man related to the victim, interviewed by the independent TV channel “TV Sucesso”, the kidnapping cases will worsen the country’s economic situation, drive investors away and nothing will change for young people.
“They will continue to be unemployed. This is actually a habit, the kidnappers want to expel the businesses from here. The government knows it but nothing is being done to change the situation”, he said.
The same man expressed his anger at police inaction, arguing “the police officers are always around but they do nothing. This is not fair, things have to change. The country lacks everything, there is no money for schools or for security. We have a lot of timber in the country but it ends up with the Chinese.”
(AIM)
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