Maputo. MP says Mondlane created "panic" and "terror"

The Mozambican Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) accuses politician Venâncio Mondlane of calling for a “revolution” in the post-election protests, causing “panic” and “terror” among the population, holding him responsible for the deaths and for plunging the country into “chaos”.

In the indictment, delivered on Tuesday to the Attorney General's Office (PGR) in Maputo against the former presidential candidate, and to which Lusa had access this Wednesday, the MP uses, as a large part of the evidence, the calls for protests, strikes, stoppages and mobilization for protests made in Venâncio Mondlane's live broadcasts on social media, throughout the various phases of the contestation of the 2024 electoral process in Mozambique.

“The acts committed by the defendant seriously jeopardized fundamental legal rights, such as life, the physical and mental integrity of people, freedom of movement, public order, security and tranquility, as well as the normal functioning of public and private institutions,” it reads.

The Public Prosecutor's Office accuses Venâncio Mondlane, presidential candidate in the general elections of October 9th and who does not recognize the results, of "material and moral authorship, in a real competition of infractions", of the crimes of public apology for crime, incitement to collective disobedience, public instigation of a crime, instigation of terrorism and incitement to terrorism.

He claims that he used social media “to facilitate the dissemination of his radical ideas, which he called a revolution,” which “indeed happened, since the publications were viewed, commented on and shared by several people, who put them into practice.”

Mozambique has experienced a climate of strong social unrest since the October elections, with demonstrations and strikes called by Mondlane, who rejects the election results that gave victory to Daniel Chapo, supported by the ruling Frelimo party, as the fifth President of the Republic.

According to non-governmental organizations monitoring the electoral process, around 400 people died as a result of clashes with the police, in addition to the destruction of public and private property, looting and violence, conflicts that ceased after meetings between Mondlane and Chapo on March 23 and May 20 , with a view to pacification.

For the MP, Mondlane “was aware of the gravity and consequences of the demonstrations he systematically called” and that they “blocked the roads and prevented the movement of people and goods”.

"The defendant's calls reached the attention of an undetermined number of people, who carried them out, staging protests that led to the occupation of streets and avenues in the city of Maputo, as well as in other urban centers across the country, and the looting of public and private property. Still following the defendant's instructions, that group of people attacked vehicles, set up large barricades with burning tires, stones, tree trunks, and garbage containers," it states.

According to the prosecution, “as a result of his statements, several citizens were deprived of basic services, public and private services were paralyzed” and “the wave of protests and violence resulting from the guidelines given by the defendant resulted in the death of several citizens, destruction of public and private property, causing a feeling of public insecurity, panic, and terror among the general population.”

"His directives also led to the closure of borders and the destruction of their facilities, preventing the movement of people and goods and the supply of markets, especially with basic necessities, causing significant damage to the national economy and creating a scenario of chaos in the country, as he proclaimed in his appeals," he added.

In his appeals, the MP says, Mondlane acted "with the purpose, achieved, of instigating acts of violence and social unrest, as well as developing a process of radicalization, disseminating radical ideas and promoting acts of violence" through social networks, "through which he mobilized and encouraged young people to take action against entities of the Mozambican State and against the population in general."

“The defendant, by ordering the young people and other followers to block the streets, preventing the passage and circulation of people and goods, as well as coercing citizens not to leave their homes, acted with the purpose of causing fear and intimidation, and causing them to fear that they would suffer acts of violence against their life and physical integrity, aware that these actions were suitable to cause them panic and terror, as they effectively did,” concludes the MP.