Demonstrations spread to Marracuene

Maputo, 4 Dec (AIM) – The anti-government demonstrations called by fugitive presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane have spread up the main north-south highway (EN1) to the municipality of Marracuene, about 30 kilometres north of Maputo.

The demonstrators occupied the Marracuene stretch of ENI, and halted all traffic in the town of Marrauene. They obliged the mayor, Shafee Sidat, to negotiate with them to clear the road, so that traffic could flow freely to and from Maputo.

Further south, on the N4 highway between Maputo and the neighbouring city of Matola, demonstrators set a bus owned by the private company Lalgy on fire. It was reduced to ashes and scrap metal.

Some of the protestors, speaking to reporters from the independent television station STV, blamed this fire on the riot police. They claimed the fire was started by tear gas capsules fired by the police.

The demonstrators then moved on to the police station in the Matola neighbourhood of Malhampsene, which they set on fire, destroying a large amount of police documentation.

Serious disturbances also broke out in the northern province of Nampula. Demonstrators put piles of burning tyres onto roads in the port of Nacala. This also cut access to the popular Fernao Veloso beach.

There are also reports of a mob burning down a Frelimo office in Morrumbala district, in the central province of Zambezia. AIM does not yet have further details on this incident.
(AIM)
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