170 serious disturbances in last five days

Maputo, 9 Dec (AIM) – In the latest wave of demonstrations and rioting, attributed to supporters of Mozambique’s fugitive presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane, there were 170 cases of serious disturbances of public order, according to the police.

Addressing a Maputo press conference on Monday evening, the police national spokesperson, Orlando Mudumane, blamed the unrest on “members and sympathisers of the Podemos Party, instigated by Venancio Mondlane”.

Podemos (Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique) was the main party backing Mondlane’s campaign for the presidency. But the thousands of people who have rioted in Mozambican cities, denouncing the results of the 9 October general elections as fraudulent, cannot possibly all be members of Podemos.

Mudumane accused the Podemos supporters of “perpetrating acts of violence, vandalism and sabotage”, impacting negatively on the lives of citizens, who find that the demonstrations, riots and blockages of major streets make it impossible to go to work. “This is intolerable, and absolutely to be condemned”, he declared.

He noted that the rioters had set up their own informal toll gates, through which they extorted money from motorists. He accused them of involving children in the riots,

Mudumane’s summary covered five days – the first phase in what Mondlane calls his “4 x 4 demonstrations”. In that period, rioters totally destroyed, through the use of Molotov cocktails, “several public and private buildings, notably five police posts, four administrative posts, and one registry and notarial office”.

One prison was invaded and vandalised, and four private homes were set on fire. Mudumane said 47 people had been injured in the riots but did not mention any deaths. 77 people had been detained.

Mudumane urged citizens to denounce to the authorities in good time any acts which posed a threat to public order and security.

He warned against “disinformation” circulating in social media, which was intended “to manipulate the minds of citizens and to foment conflicts and chaos.

He urged citizens not to take part in “demonstrations which result in massive destruction of public and private infrastructures, the paralysis of essential public services, and blocking sources of income for many households”.

The press conference was very short, and Mudumane did not take any questions,

(AIM)

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