Maputo, 30 Jul (AIM) – The Rapid Intervention Unit (UIR – the Mozambican riot police) on Tuesday shot the driver of a minibus-taxi (known colloquially as “chapas”) when he was allegedly trying to use an alternative route in order to avoid paying the fee at the Malova toll gate, on the country’s main north-south highway (EN1) in Massinga district, in the southern province of Inhambane.
In order to protest against the police shooting, a group of people took to the streets. During this mass demonstration, the protesters destroyed the Malova toll gate after they erected barricades and forced truck drivers to block EN1, in the Mahocha region.
This is the second time that this toll gate has been destroyed. It had been vandalized during the post-election protests called by the former presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane following the announcement of results, widely believed to be fraudulent, from the general elections held last October. The mass demonstrations started peacefully but then degenerated into rioting and destruction.
“The Police also shot a passenger. Our police do not know how to work, they just shoot people for no reason. This is the reason why we took to the street to condemn the attack against civilians who did nothing. The driver was only trying to use an alternative road to avoid paying the toll. Is that a crime?”, a source asked AIM.
Moisés Nunes, the Road Fund’s representative in Inhambane, lamented the acts of vandalism carried out by the group against the toll. He claimed that the toll gate has brought benefits to the surrounding community.
(AIM)
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