Mozambique Opposition Leader Urges Continuation of Protests for Months

Mozambique’s opposition leader has informed the BBC that ongoing protests, which have resulted in weeks of confrontations with the nation’s security forces, should persist for “maybe two to three months”. Venâncio Mondlane has been urging his supporters to demonstrate against the outcome of October’s presidential elections, where he secured the second position behind the candidate representing the ruling Frelimo party. These demonstrations, spanning several weeks, have resulted in violent clashes with law enforcement, leading to the deaths of at least 67 individuals, according to the local monitoring organization Plataforma Decide. Mondlane, currently in hiding, conveyed to the BBC his belief that sustained pressure from the protests might compel Frelimo to engage in negotiations. Mondlane further stated, “But [they] need to carry on for longer, maybe two to three months, in this same pace.” He added, “The combination of diplomatic contact, protests and international pressure will do it.” Mondlane declared that there is “no way” he can accept the election outcome, where Frelimo’s candidate, Daniel Chapo, secured victory with a whopping 71% of the votes. Mondlane, an evangelical pastor who ran as an independent after separating from the primary opposition party Renamo, received only 20%. The electoral commission refuted Mondlane’s accusation that the election was manipulated to benefit Frelimo, a party that has held power for 49 years since the nation’s independence. However, international election observers have stated that the elections contained flaws, citing manipulated figures and additional irregularities during the vote tabulation process. Mondlane communicated with the BBC through a video call from an undisclosed location, explaining that he could not disclose his whereabouts due to safety concerns. He vanished from public sight on 20 October, before the election results were announced, after accusing the police of threatening conduct shortly after two of his assistants were fatally shot. Previously, Mondlane was in hiding in South Africa, where he claimed to have been the subject of an assassination attempt. Nevertheless, Mondlane persists in mobilizing his supporters through social media platforms. He expressed, “What is most hurtful to me is not being able to be with the people on the streets, to take part in their fight and in their protests, to lead these demonstrations. This pains me every single day.” Mondlane characterized the police’s handling of the demonstrations as “a deep violation of human rights”. The fatalities resulting from the demonstrations have led to the mortuaries in the capital city, Maputo, reaching full capacity. A gravedigger in Maputo informed the BBC that the number of burials he has participated in has significantly increased. Jorge Alfredo stated, “On normal days, we conduct between six and eight burials a day.” He continued, “But today, since the cemetery reopened after the demonstrations, we struggled because we had to handle double the usual number of burials.” Last month, Mozambique’s police commander, Bernadino Raphael, speaking to the BBC, attributed the deaths to Mondlane’s supporters. He alleged, “They are using children as shields in front of them while they remain behind.” The commander further stated that in numerous situations, police were compelled to defend themselves against protesters who initiated violence, which involved the killing of six officers and the looting and burning of property and vehicles. Nevertheless, protesters seem resolute in continuing their actions. Recently, they have adopted some of Mondlane’s innovative demonstration tactics, including banging pots and pans indoors simultaneously each night and parking vehicles on streets to obstruct traffic for multiple hours daily. Mondlane believes that the governing party is experiencing pressure. He stated, “Frelimo knows that if these protests carry on, there’s a huge risk that the country will become unfeasible.” Following the announcement of the results on 24 October, Chapo maintained that he and Frelimo had triumphed in a free and fair election, asserting: “We are an organised party that prepares its victories.” Should Frelimo decline to concede and instead proceed with their five-year term, Mondlane is convinced that he would win the 2029 presidential election if the electoral process were reformed to enhance its transparency. He explained, “Because the economic and social situation is so bad, there’s no way that this regime will manage to improve the situation in the next five years.” Mondlane concluded, “I dare say that we will win, without a doubt.”