
Candidato presidencial do partido PODEMOS, Venâncio Mondlane, faz um showmicio no bairro Malhampsene na Província de Maputo no âmbito da abertura da campanha eleitoral 2024 . Foto de Santos Vilanculos
Maputo, 18 Sep (AIM) – The independent candidate in Mozambique’s forthcoming presidential election, Venancio Mondlane, has protested at “political intolerance” in the central province of Tete.
As examples, he cited the burning down, by unidentified individuals, of a house belonging to a member of the Podemos party, which is supporting Mondlane’s campaign, and the detention in the local police command of the Podemos election agent in Macanga district.
Speaking at a rally on Tuesday in Macanga, Mondlane said the house of the Podemos member was destroyed “only because they knew that he supports our cause”.
Following the arson, the Podemos election agent was detained. “Is this the country we want?”, asked Mondlane.
He said that earlier in the day he visited schools, and found the children studying on the floor. “They don’t have blackboards, they don’t have exercise books, but they are taking money from the schools to finance the campaign of a certain political party”, Mondlane accused.
Cited by the independent television station, STV, he alleged that money is also being taken from the health system to finance the campaign. “In the hospitals there are no medicines for the people, and there is no decent care. They take the money from the hospitals to finance the campaign of a certain party”.
He also attacked the former presidents, Joaquim Chissano and Armando Guebuza (who are now honorary presidents of Frelimo), for their support of the Frelimo presidential candidate, Daniel Chapo.
He said Frelimo had taken Chissano and Guebuza out of retirement “because they can’t cope with Venancio Mondlane. That’s another crime they are committing, because Joaquim Chissano and Armando Guebuza live off the money from the people”.
“They are living at the cost of the people, and they shouldn’t be campaigning for one party, but for the people”, he added. If they wanted to campaign for Frelimo, then they should give up the money they continue to receive from the state budget.
“If these two former presidents are campaigning for this party which threatens and humiliates the people, then they too are criminals”, Mondlane declared.
(AIM)
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