Demonstrators close main roads in Maputo

Maputo, 27 Nov (AIM) – Chaos returned to the streets of Maputo on Wednesday, as demonstrators waving placards and Mozambican flags blocked roads, in yet another protest against the preliminary results from the 9 October general elections, widely regarded as fraudulent.

Presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane, broadcasting to his supporters on Tuesday via his Facebook page, had called on motorists to abandon their vehicles in the middle of the road and complete their journey to work on foot.

But nothing of the sort happened. Most of the demonstrators who blocked the roads and threw up barricades were on foot. They prevented all traffic along major thoroughfares, including the N4 highway between Maputo and Matola, which is also the road linking the port of Maputo to South Africa.

Despite the demonstrations, banks, ministries and other public institutions were operating normally on Wednesday morning. This was because they opened before 08.00, the time set by Mondlane for the start of the latest demonstration.

Some schools opened normally, but others were closed. Transport was badly hit: owners of buses and minibuses were reluctant to take their vehicles onto the roads for fear they might be attacked by pro-Mondlane demonstrators.

This made it difficult, if not impossible, for many workers and students to reach their workplaces and schools.

On Eduardo Mondlane Avenue, in central Maputo, a military armoured car knocked down and drove over a woman who was in the middle of a crowd trying to block the road.

The woman suffered serious injuries, and in the afternoon, staff at the Maputo Central Hospital described her condition as critical.

A statement from the Defence Ministry admitted that the vehicle belongs to the armed forces (FADM) but insisted that the woman was knocked down “accidentally”.

However, the incident was filmed and shown repeatedly on Mozambican television channels, and it does not look remotely accidental. The vehicle was travelling at high speed and crashed into a makeshift barricade. Possibly the driver did not see that the woman was among the posters and poles, but he did not even stop after running her over.

The Defence Ministry statement said the FADM takes full responsibility for all medical care the victim may need and promised a full investigation.

This chaos could last until Friday. Mondlane had decreed closure of the roads for three days.

There are also reports that demonstrators brought the main border post between Mozambique and South Africa, at Ressano Garcia, to a standstill, but AIM does not yet have any details on this, or on reports of deaths from clashes between demonstrators and police in the northern city of Nampula.
(AIM)
Pf/ (441)