Maputo, 4 Jun (AIM) – The Maputo City Law Court on Wednesday sentenced Adriano Nuvunga, activist and chairperson of a prominent Mozambican NGO, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), to six months in imprisonment for the crime of “slander and defamation.”
Nuvunga will not spend any time in jail, since the penalty was converted to a fine. He was also ordered to pay a compensation of one million meticais (just over 15,000 US dollars at the current exchange rate) to Albino Forquilha, leader of Podemos (Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique).
The sentence results from a lawsuit filed by Forquilha. He filed the lawsuit accusing Nuvunga of defamation following statements he made in 2025, claiming that Podemos leader received approximately 219 million Meticais to “sell the electoral truth”, as part of mass demonstrations against the allegedly fraudulent results of 2024 general elections.
Podemos supported Venancio Mondlane’s bid for the Presidency, but Mondlane now regards Podemos leader as “a traitor” for disobeying his order that Podemos should not take up its seats in the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, while the mass demonstrations were taking place.
Mondlane now leads the National Alliance for a Free and Autonomous Mozambique (Anamola), which is effectively the main opposition party due to its relevance.
The ruling represents a judicial outcome in one of the most publicized cases to emerge in the post-election period and focuses on protecting “the honor, good name, and reputation of citizens against accusations without evidentiary support.”
The court claimed that no evidence was produced capable of confirming the allegations made public against Albino Forquilha, upholding the request for compensation presented by the leader of Podemos. “It was not proven that Albino Forquilha received the famous 219 million meticais from anyone or any institution”, the judge said.
Nuvunga, speaking to reporters, after leaving the court, said that he will appeal the sentence to higher courts. “We will appeal this decision immediately,” he said.
Nuvunga also said that he never defamed Forquilha, “what I did was take a complaint to the competent entity – the Central Office for Combating Corruption (GCCC) – to investigate”, he said.
For his part, Forquilha said the decision reaffirmed the principles of the rule of law because “it conveyed a clear message about the legal limits of freedom of expression and the responsibility that should accompany public debate.”
“Democracy is a responsibility. We cannot, out of political emotion, defame other people without proof”, he added.
This ruling, however, is considered by many to be a politically motivated decision, given that Nuvunga is one of the critical voices against the government and the ruling Frelimo party.
(AIM)
SN/Am/
