Maputo, 20 Oct (AIM) – Mozambican Interior Minister Pascoal Ronda on Saturday condemned the murders of Elvino Dias, the lawyer for independent presidential candidate, Venancio Mondlane, and Paulo Guambe, an election agent for the Podemos party, which supported Mondlane’s presidential bid.
The two men were shot dead at around midnight on Friday on Joaquim Chissano Avenue, in central Maputo,
Addressing a Maputo press conference, Ronda said the government has ordered the police and the Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) to clear up the case rapidly so that the murderers “may be brought to justice and held responsible for their crimes”.
He called for the collaboration of “anyone who may have relevant information, but avoiding disinformation”.
The main piece of disinformation came from the police itself. Earlier in the day a police spokesperson had suggested that the murders resulted from a “marital dispute”.
There was not the slightest evidence for this, apart from the fact that Dias had given a lift to a woman, Andacia Macuacua, who was sitting in the back seat. It seems that she was not a target, but bullets struck her in the arms, and she is currently hospitalized.
A message of condolences also came from Daniel Chapo, the General Secretary and presidential candidate of the ruling Frelimo Party.
The murders, said Chapo, “are not merely an attack against dedicated individuals, committed to their country, but are also an affront to democracy and to the principles of the democratic rule of law, which we should all protect”.
“This is a moment of great sorrow for all those who are dedicated to the values of justice”, he added. “The loss of colleagues so violently is a deep blow, but I ask that we remain firm in our commitment to defending fundamental rights”.
“This tragic incident should not divert us from the construction of a more just and inclusive nation where human life and dignity are always respected”, said Chapo.
He urged the institutions of Mozambican justice to head “a rapid, impartial, independent and rigorous investigation, seeking to ascertain the facts and hold their authors responsible. Justice must be done”.
Chapo reaffirmed “my total repudiation of this crime and of any type of violence and intolerance in our country”.
Condemnations and condolences also came from Mozambique’s foreign partners. The US, Canadian, British, Norwegian and Swiss embassies and high commissions issued a joint statement “vehemently condemning any act of political violence, and we call for a rapid and exhaustive investigation”.
The diplomats urged “all citizens, political leaders, state institutions and interested parties to solve election disputes in a peaceful and legal manner, rejecting violence and inflammatory rhetoric”.
(AIM)
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