Barricades and burning tyres returned to the streets of Maputo on Friday morning, as demonstrators continued to contest the institutional process in the wake of the general elections on 9 October, with those involved only clearing the way for the military to pass through.
On Avenida Acordos de Lusaka, in the centre of the Mozambican capital, hundreds took to the streets, burning dozens of tyres and blocking traffic. They claimed that minutes earlier police had taken some of their number to the square next door, on the third consecutive day of protests called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane.
In what is one of the city’s central arteries, which is usually bustling every day, thick black smoke hung over the area as the military arrived to try to clean up.
“Yes to the military,” explained 30-year-old Brian Obisse. “Yes to the military. They have a way of talking to the population, they understand, they talk.”
Amidst the intense smoke of burning tyres, he did not try to hide his anger: “You take a person to jail who is just demonstrating, you take a person to the police station to do what?”
Luciano Michele, 30, joined the rest of the demonstrators in the centre of the avenue after the police intervened.
“That’s what happened, for us to get to this extreme,” he said, amid the burning tyres and soldiers passing by trying to clear it up, though with little success.
“The military can pass through here at will,” he said, adding: “They speak well and support the people very well.”
While other young people carry more tyres to add to the burning barricades, João Tembe, 43, talks to the soldiers who arrive.
“They’re the only ones we trust because they show firmness and show that they’re with us,” he said, then adding: “They’re hooded because of higher orders.”
Exprssing his disgust at the country’s situation, he said that Mondlane’s calls for post-election protests was “just an incentive” to “awaken many young people” who were already discontented.
“My demonstration is not vandalism,” he said. “I’m worried about the future of young people, what will become of them tomorrow?”.
At least 88 people have died and another 274 have suffered gunshot wounds during the demonstrations and stoppages challenging the election results since October 21, the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Plataforma Eleitoral Decide said on Friday.
According to the report released by the Mozambican electoral monitoring platform, which involves NGOs such as the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP), the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CDD) and Amnesty International, and using data up to 4 December, a total of 3,450 people were arrested during this period.
Mondlane, the presidential candidate, who has refused to recognise the official results of the presidential election, which placed him second behind Daniel Chapo of the governing Frelimo party, had called for a new week-long phase of electoral contestation, from 4 to 11 December, in “all the neighbourhoods” of Mozambique, with traffic to be blocked from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“All the neighbourhoods are in strong activity,” said Mondlane in a statement on his official Facebook account.
As was the case during the previous phase of protest, from 27 to 29 November, Mondlane asked for all vehicles to stop from 8 a.m. to 3.30 p.m., followed by 30 minutes for the singing of the anthems of Mozambique and Africa in the streets, which has happened over the last three days in several central arteries, particularly in Maputo.
The announcement by the National Electoral Commission (CNE) on 24 October of the results of the 9 October elections, in which it awarded victory in the election for president to Chapo, with 70.67% of the votes, triggered popular protests called by Mondlane that have degenerated into violent clashes with the police.
According to the CNE, Mondlane came second with 20.32%, but he has not recognised the results, which have yet to be validated and proclaimed by the Constitutional Council.
