Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Attorney General’s Office (PGR) of Mozambique today called for a specific law against crimes of vandalism, destruction of property and restriction of freedoms during protests, after similar acts were recorded during post-election demonstrations..
During the presentation of the Public Prosecutor’s Office’s 2024 report to the Mozambican parliament, Chief Public Prosecutor Américo Letela argued that the exercise of the freedom of demonstration, enshrined in the Constitution, “should not, in any way, limit the exercise of other [people’s rights]”, calling for the creation of specific legislation that criminalizes and punishes acts of vandalism and restrictions to freedoms during protests.
The issue at hand is the post-election protests led by former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, in which almost 400 people lost their lives as a result of clashes between the police and protesters, according to data from civil society organizations, and which also led to looting and the destruction of businesses and public infrastructure.
The Attorney General criticized the way in which the post-election protests took place in the country, stating that they should not “offend the Constitution” or promote the “abusive occupation of public and private buildings”.
“In view of the consequences of the aforementioned protests, we bring to the fore the possibility of criminalizing some conducts observed in that context, in light of the legal rights violated,” argued Américo Letela, calling for a collective reflection on the proposal.
“There is no doubt that the intention to criminalize such conducts may be controversial, insofar as public demonstrations and criticism are essential to society and democracy, hence the ideal is to promote them, with a view to having a more plural and democratic society.” he added.
Letela also argued that protests should not impede economic activities, the functioning of public and private institutions and [harm] private property.
“Mozambique, as a democratic state governed by the rule of law, must guarantee and promote the protection of the right to protest exercised within the legal provisions, imposing in this context that the rule of law punishes deviant conduct that violates the fundamental rights of other non-protesting citizens,” Américo Letela concluded.
The Mozambican Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened a total of 742 criminal proceedings, 31 of which involve members of the police, linked to protests in Mozambique in the last five months, according to data from the PGR.
The proceedings aim to “hold the perpetrators and perpetrators criminally accountable, with 385 proceedings having been concluded, 356 by indictment, 29 archived due to insufficient evidence and 357 still under investigation,” the attorney general said.
According to the same source, at least 31 cases involve officers of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM), two of whom have already been indicted.
Of the total number of cases, the highest number is recorded in the province and city of Maputo, with 230 and 229 cases, respectively, with aggravated robbery being the main crime. The Mozambican government has previously confirmed that at least 80 people died during the demonstrations, in addition to the destruction of 1,677 commercial establishments, 177 schools and 23 health units.
On 23 March, Mondlane and President Daniel Chapo met for the first time and a commitment was made to end the post-election violence in the country, although mutual criticism and accusations continue to be feature in public statements made by the two politicians.
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