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The ruling Mozambique Liberation Front, known as Frelimo, says it needs about €1.2 million (89 million meticais) to repair 25 party offices in Zambézia Province that were damaged during violent protests after last year’s general elections.
The announcement came from Francisco Nangura, the party’s first secretary in Zambézia, who spoke to journalists after touring the damaged facilities. According to him, six offices were completely destroyed, while 19 others suffered partial damage. One of the worst-hit buildings was in Molumbo district, which was totally burnt down. Repairs have already begun in Alto Molócue district and Mocuba city to get the party structures functioning again.
Nangura said raising the funds will not be easy since Frelimo depends mainly on contributions from its members. However, he assured that the party remains organised and committed to restoring its presence in affected areas. He also called on the public to unite and help protect both community and political leaders, warning that acts of sporadic violence are still being recorded in some parts of the province.
The destruction happened during more than five months of protests and strikes following the October 9, 2024 general elections. The demonstrations were largely led by Venâncio Mondlane, the opposition presidential candidate, who rejected the official results that declared Daniel Chapo of Frelimo as Mozambique’s fifth president.
The protests, which began shortly after the election, plunged parts of the country into chaos. Civil society groups monitoring the polls reported that about 400 people were killed in clashes with police. There were also widespread cases of looting, property destruction, and attacks on both public and private buildings.
The violence only began to calm down after two high-profile meetings between Mondlane and President Chapo on March 23 and May 20 this year, where they discussed ways to restore peace and stability.
However, the legal battle is far from over. On July 22, the Mozambican Public Prosecutor’s Office formally charged Mondlane with several offences, accusing him of using social media to incite protests, strikes, and civil disobedience. The charges include public incitement to crime, incitement to collective disobedience, public instigation to crime, instigation to terrorism, and incitement to terrorism.
The prosecutors claim that Mondlane’s live broadcasts on Facebook and other platforms encouraged his supporters to take to the streets, leading to loss of life, injuries, and destruction of infrastructure. They allege that these actions created fear, disrupted public order, and paralysed institutions.
The indictment also says that Mondlane repeatedly called his campaign a “revolution” and that many of his followers acted on his words, resulting in the unrest that gripped the country for months.
Mozambique has been under Frelimo’s rule since independence from Portugal in 1975. The party has maintained political dominance for decades, but recent years have seen growing opposition, especially in urban centres. The post-election crisis in Zambézia and other provinces has raised questions about political tolerance, security, and the future of democratic processes in the country.
For now, the focus for Frelimo in Zambézia is rebuilding its destroyed offices, re-establishing political operations, and restoring public trust in areas most affected by the violence.