“Renamo is demonstrating because Renamo is the people (…) We bang pots, that’s the demonstration. Renamo won’t go along with those violent demonstrations, which can create problems for itself and others,” Ossufo Momade said on Monday at a press conference in Maputo, where he demanded the annulment of the 9 October general elections and a new ballot, pointing to various irregularities in the process.
“Because we know that demonstrating is a right we all have, but we’re not going to allow the demonstration to deprive the rights of the brother next door. That António over there can’t go to work, that ‘mum’ who sells her tomatoes can’t go to the market. We don’t agree with this, but we do agree with a peaceful demonstration that complies with the Constitution of the Republic,” added Ossufo Momade, who was also one of the four presidential candidates in the October elections.
Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who also doesn’t recognise the election results announced by the National Electoral Commission (CNE), called for three days of ‘banging pots and pans’ – ending today, between 9pm and 10pm local time – which have been felt across the country from balconies and windows, but have degenerated into new outbreaks of violence in the streets.
On Saturday, as on the following day, the whistles started to be heard in the early evening and soon the sounds of pots and car horns were heard throughout the centre of Maputo, with some suburbs being restricted to traffic by pro-Venâncio Mondlane demonstrators.
At around 9.30pm local time (minus two hours in Lisbon) on Saturday, it was practically impossible to drive on Avenida Julius Nyerere near the Xiquelene market, either because of the stones of all sizes placed on the road or because of the demonstrators approaching motorists, as Lusa noted, with several vehicles trying to reverse, while other demonstrators set up barricades, demanding payment of sums of between 10 and 50 meticais (15 and 75 € cents) to let motorists pass.
In another nearby area, at the entrance to the Maxaquene neighbourhood, on Avenida Vladimir Lenine, the result of presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane’s call for ‘banging pots and pans’ to contest the election results was taking place in the street and the artery was cut off to traffic, while tyres were burning in the road.
“If you go ahead, they’ll torch your car,” warned one protester, whistle in mouth, while dozens of people of all ages banged pots and drums in the street in a festive atmosphere.
In Maputo’s central streets, such as 24 de Julho, Eduardo Mondlane, Julius Nyerere, Joaquim Chissano and Mao Tsé-Tung avenues, among others, vuvuzelas, whistles and banging pots were also heard at the weekend, especially from windows and balconies, while others went down to the street and whistled on top of cars.
Those travelling by car also joined in the chorus, honking their horns, some with cans attached by wires, making the sound even louder as they hit the tarmac.
The protest was called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who promised to announce on Tuesday new ways of contesting the results announced by the CNE.
On Friday, Mozambique experienced the third day of the so-called ‘third phase’ of the fourth stage of stoppages and demonstrations to contest the election results called by Venâncio Mondlane, who denies the victory of Daniel Chapo, supported by the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo), with 70.67% of the vote.
Mondlane said that the protests are to continue “until the electoral truth is restored”.
According to the CNE, Mondlane came second with 20.32%, but the latter said he does not recognise the results, which still have to be validated and proclaimed by the Constitutional Council, which has no deadlines for this and is still analysing the dispute.
After street protests that brought the country to a standstill on 21, 24 and 25 October, Mondlane once again called on the public for a seven-day general strike, since 31 October, with national protests and a demonstration in Maputo on 7 October, which caused chaos in the capital, with several barricades, burning tyres and police firing shots and tear gas throughout the day.
