Weeks of unrest in Mozambique have left 67 people dead as opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane urges his supporters to sustain their protests against October’s presidential election results.
Mondlane, who came in second to ruling Frelimo party candidate Daniel Chapo, claims the election was rigged and refuses to accept the outcome.
Speaking from an undisclosed location via video call, Mondlane called for prolonged demonstrations to pressure Frelimo into negotiations. “They need to carry on for longer, maybe two to three months, in this same pace,” he said.
He believes a combination of protests, diplomatic outreach, and international pressure could force talks.
Chapo, representing the Frelimo party that has ruled Mozambique for 49 years, secured 71% of the vote. Mondlane, an evangelical pastor running as an independent after splitting from the main opposition Renamo party, garnered just 20%.
While Mozambique’s electoral commission dismissed allegations of fraud, international observers have reported significant irregularities, including doctored numbers during the vote count.
“There is no way I can accept the election result,” Mondlane stated. He accused the police of harassment, claiming that threats began shortly before two of his aides were shot dead. He disappeared from public view on October 20, days before the election results were announced.
The protests have been met with a heavy-handed response from Mozambique’s security forces. The local monitoring group Plataforma Decide has reported 67 fatalities, with overcrowded mortuaries and a surge in burials reflecting the scale of the crisis.
Jorge Alfredo, a gravedigger in the capital, Maputo, said the number of daily burials has doubled. “On normal days, we conduct between six and eight burials. But today, since the cemetery reopened after the demonstrations, we struggled because we had to handle double the usual number,” he said.
Police commander Bernadino Raphael blamed the protesters for the violence, alleging that they used children as shields and engaged in looting and arson. He added that six police officers have been killed.
Creative Resistance
Despite the violent crackdown, protesters remain determined. Mondlane has encouraged symbolic acts of defiance, such as banging pots and pans indoors at night and using parked cars to block traffic during the day.
“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 said.
Chapo and Frelimo maintain that the election was free and fair. “We are an organized party that prepares its victories,” Chapo stated after the results were announced on October 24.
Mondlane, however, sees hope in the long-term struggle for change. He believes that if electoral reforms ensure transparency, he will win the presidency in 2029.
“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,” he said. “I dare say that we will win, without a doubt.”
As protests continue to escalate, Mozambique faces a volatile period. Mondlane’s vision of reform hinges on sustained pressure and a willingness to engage in dialogue, if the ruling party agrees.
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