By Agencies
MAPUTO – Despite a statement by President Filipe Nyusi, SADC yesterday refused to back Frelimo and Daniel Chapo.
This was obvious when the communiqué said: “The Summit commended the Republics of Mozambique, Botswana and Mauritius for successfully holding peaceful elections and congratulated the newly elected leaders, namely President Duma Gideon Boko, of the Republic of Botswana, and Honourable Dr. Navin Ramgoolam, the Prime Minister of Mauritius.” No mention of Chapo.
Later the communiqué said it “received an update from His Excellency Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique, on the post-election political and security situation in the country and reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to work with the Republic of Mozambique in ensuring peace, security and stability through the relevant structures of the SADC.” Again, no support for Mozambique on the “post-election political” situation.
The SADC summit was held on Wednesday, 20 November, in Harare. It was attended by only five presidents (Zimbabwe, Botswana, DRC, Madagascar, and Mozambique) and just lower-level officials from South Africa and other SADC members.
The general command of the police is using Frelimo neighbourhood structures to identify the main protagonists of the demonstrations in their neighbourhoods. This has continued since the demonstrations began, and uses Frelimo neighbourhood secretaries, heads of 10 houses, community leaders, and other influential Frelimo figures. CIP Eleições understands that the process is being led by the head of the Frelimo Party Brigade in Maputo City. The supposed protagonists or leaders of the demonstrations will subsequently be the target of kidnappings and assassinations.
In the Maxaquene neighbourhood in Maputo City, Frelimo party facilities were vandalised, namely the Maxaquene B (better known as the Graça Circle) and Maxaquene C Circle committees, located next to the Home for the Destitute. In the days that followed, the OMM headquarters was vandalised near the Carimbo market, very close to the Graça circle headquarters in the same neighbourhood.
This seems quite organised. According to our findings, the youths who set fire to the Frelimo party headquarters in Maxaquene B were from the Hulene neighbourhood and had rented a house near the neighbourhood committee headquarters. They left the rented houses after the act was completed.
A student from Eduardo Mondlane University was kidnapped last week and held captive by SERNIC for 24 hours. The student only escaped death because one of the kidnapping policemen was from Nampula, the province where the student is from. He was kidnapped on Avenida Vladimir Lenine, which separates the neighbourhoods of Polana Caniço and Maxaquene, at around 8 pm, when he was going to a shop.
According to the student, the kidnappers were driving a black car when they questioned him. They neutralised him and put him in the car. They blindfolded and gagged him and when he was taken to a residence he was kept blindfolded.
The kidnappers had all the information about the student. They knew he was one of the protesters at the university residence. He was interrogated and tortured. The kidnappers told the student that they had been ordered to kidnap and murder him.
There are many identified young people, including members of civil society who have shown support for the demonstrations, who could be kidnapped and murdered in the same way.
A student was killed by police this morning (Thursday 21 November) in Moma, Nampula. The pupil was shot on a bridge at around 10 am on his way home from school when the police fired on a group of demonstrators. Five people were injured.
Police killed at least two people last weekend in the Mulevala district of Zambézia. There were thefts of precious stones at Marropia mines, Mulevale. The police were called in and shot several people. Some say there were six dead, but a police source confirms only two: a pregnant woman and an 18-year-old.
Source: Centro de Integridade Pública – CIP Eleições
