Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambican politician Venâncio Mondlane said today that he is already the subject of more than 30 legal proceedings in connection with the post-election protests, accusing the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) of wanting to hold him responsible for the entire post-election crisis.
“I lost count, didn’t I? Because I think there are a little more than 30. So, I’m not really sure. There are so many, I’m not sure anymore,” the former presidential candidate told Lusa on his arrival at the PGR in Maputo, under heavy police presence.
“I see it as a very urgent need for the PGR to try to look at the problem that occurred during the electoral and post-electoral period in a unilateral manner. In other words, an attempt to desperately gather evidence, both on purpose and off-topic, to try to focus on the entire issue of the post-electoral crisis in Venâncio, when we know that this is a multifaceted issue, that it involves the justice authorities, electoral authorities, and the police themselves, who committed atrocities of all kinds,” he stated.
He also said that the PGR, “as the guardian of legality” and if it “wanted to fulfil this role,” would have to analyse everything that happened during the several months of social unrest and protests against the process surrounding the general elections of October 9, in which around 400 people died, in addition to widespread destruction throughout the country.
“But we, up until now, have no news with evidence of the security and defence forces and their officers, who have also been prosecuted, being heard and questioned in this process,” the former presidential candidate alleged.
Today, Mondlane returned to the PGR, where he attended on March 11th giving statements for more than 10 hours, leaving under identity and residence constraints.
“The notification [from today] mentions additional clarifications, so I have no idea what it is, so I come here to find out what clarifications the PGR needs”, he said, adding: “As I said last time, not even after 10 a.m. did I find out what crime I was accused of (…). Until now, I have never been told what crime I am accused of, which brings me here to the PGR”.
Several avenues and streets in the centre of Maputo, in the vicinity of the PGR, were closed to traffic today, with a strong police reinforcement, several hours before Venâncio Mondlane was expected to arrive for a hearing.
As Lusa has observed, traffic on several surrounding roads leading to Avenida Vladimir Lenine, the headquarters of the PGR, has been cut off since the early hours of the morning, with dozens of heavily armed members of the Rapid Intervention Unit (UIR) of the police present.
“This apparatus, I mean, is incredible, isn’t it? The kind of honour they’ve given me, it’s impressive, isn’t it? I always have this privilege of having unusual police protection, don’t I? Even the presidential escort, I’m talking about the presidential escort of the UIR, has never had a privilege of such magnitude,” he commented.
Mondlane publicly revealed in recent days that he was told by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in the city of Maputo to be at the PGR today, with a “warning of arrest” if he does not appear.
In the last few hours, videos have appeared on social media calling for support for the politician during his visit to the PGR, but there have been no incidents or security problems.
After months of social unrest and protests against the election results – the victory of Daniel Chapo and the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo), the head of state and Venâncio Mondlane met for the first time on March 23 in Maputo and agreed to pacify the country, repeating the meeting on May 20.
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