By Daanyaal Matthews
Mozambique’s recent elections have been denounced as fraudulent by opposition parties and international observers, sparking public unrest and leading to over 11 reported deaths. While the Southern African Development Community (SADC) described the voting process as “professionally organized,” the European Election Observation Mission cited issues, including being barred from observing tabulations and noting “unjustified alteration of election results.”
These observations, coupled with local dissent, have fueled protests, particularly among the youth, led by Venancio Mondlane, an independent candidate. Advocate Sipho Mantula from the Thabo Mbeki School for Public and International Affairs remarked that unrest was anticipated due to pre-election tensions. He pointed out that accusations of vote rigging and intimidation surfaced before the results were announced on October 28.
Mantula highlighted the killings of Mondlane’s advisors as a catalyst for the violence, emphasizing that political assassinations have intensified the crisis, especially in the capital.
“The killing of the advisors of Mondlane has been the trigger as well for this violence. So, if one looks at the political assassinations of those who are involved in the politics in Mozambique, it has also led to what we are seeing now in the capital city,” stressed Mantula.
Listen to the interview here:
