Africa-Press – Mozambique. The leader of the National Alliance for a Free and Autonomous Mozambique (Anamola), former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, has accused President Daniel Chapo of “a subversive agenda”, according to a report carried by the independent television channel STV.
Mondlane was angered because the presidential pardon that took effect on Monday only covered a small number of the thousands of people arrested during the-election unrest that raged between October 2024 and March 2025.
According to Mondlane, speaking over his Facebook channel, there are still over 2,700 people incarcerated because of their alleged role in the rioting and demonstrations that followed the announcement of election results widely regarded as fraudulent. Of the 751 people released from jail under the presidential pardon, only 22 had been detained because of the post-election unrest.
Mondlane recalled that, on 23 March, he had signed an agreement with Chapo that included recognition of the urgent need to release all those rounded up by the police during the protests.
Mondlane said it has been agreed that the country’s parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, would pass laws amnestying and pardoning those detained. But eight months later, nothing has happened. Chapo, Mondlane accused, has not deposited an amnesty bill with the Assembly.
Mondlane feared that Chapo wanted to keep the bulk of the detainees imprisoned. He regarded the pardon announced on Monday as mere window-dressing.
Chapo had reneged on the agreement reached with Mondlane, and preferred “a subversive agenda to keep these people detained illegally”.
He had pardoned people accused of other offences, such as theft, but had preferred to keep incarcerated those who had protested against fraudulent elections. During his broadcast, Mondlane displayed a document which he claimed was the minutes of his March meeting with Chapo.
Chapo had denied reaching any agreement with Mondlane, and Mondlane dismissed this claim with the words “the illegitimate President of Mozambique is dishonest”.
