Five people including a journalist were injured in the Mozambican capital on Monday when police fired tear gas toward independent presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane and his supporters, who had gathered to protest at the scene where two prominent opposition figures were shot dead by unidentified gunmen over the weekend.
As Mondlane addressed reporters Monday in the capital, Maputo, police stormed the area and fired tear gas in his direction.
The opposition candidate was shielded by his aides and supporters while journalists ran for cover as tear gas shells fell around them.
Hospital officials said five people, including a journalist, were treated for tear gas exposure and discharged from Maputo Central Hospital.
Mondlane, who contends the October 9 election was rigged, had gathered with supporters near the site where two opposition party figures were shot dead over the weekend. He had previously called for a nationwide shutdown and urged people to stay away from work on Monday to protest what he and other parties have called fraudulent elections.
Final results in the election are expected later this week, but preliminary results show the ruling Frelimo Party presidential candidate, Daniel Chapo, has a comfortable lead.
Police say there was also unrest Monday in various Maputo neighborhoods and in the southern province of Gaza, as stone-throwing youths burned tires and barricaded roads. Police say six people were arrested.
Maputo Province police spokesperson Rodrigues Chabana told a media conference that forces dispersed groups of youth that gathered in the streets, allegedly to plan violent protests.
“We had another situation, also in Matola city, in which a group of national citizens were in one of the streets and the police took control of the area,” said Chabana.
Despite seeing his supporters attacked by police, Mondlane said the primary objective of the nationwide shutdown was successful. According to him, 95% of business activities were halted except for essential services. He urged his supporters to go home and wait for the announcement of the election results, which could come as early as Wednesday, and he thanked them for heeding the call to halt everything on Monday.
“My brothers, I have said this before and I will say it again, I say to you now, let’s go home. I advise everyone to go home. Our goals today have been achieved. Today was the first stage; we just wanted to suspend work activity and manifest the repudiation for the assassination of Elvino Dias. This objective was achieved and was done very well,” said Mondlane.
Former business journalist Evaristo Cumbane told VOA in an interview that the nationwide shutdown had an enormous impact.
“The impact of this protest, or ‘strike’ if you like, was enormous. Not only on businesses — various formal businesses, I mean companies both public and private — but on the lives of ordinary citizens, who were not able to do their daily business. First there was a shortage of transport to transport them from their homes to the markets, to the workplace and so on, and also most people stayed at home,” said Cumbane.
The disputed election along with the deaths of the two opposition figures over the weekend have increased tensions, which are only expected to rise with the release of the election results later this week.
