The home of Renamo’s delegate in Zero, Mopeia, Zambézia, Felix Vale Afonso, was invaded on Friday night by people firing guns, forcing the family to flee.
Renamo’s Zambézia head of list and candidate for governor, Manuel de Araujo, issued a statement yesterday (28 September) saying the attack on its member had the sole purpose of intimidating Renamo members to stop them campaigning. He continued: “We call on the police to explain, because the home of the delegate in Zero is just a few meters from a police unit It is strange, then, that police agents stationed in that unit did not realize there was firing and did not act.”
Felix Afonso told this newsletter by telephone that the day before the invasion of his home, the flagpole at the party’s headquarters was cut down.
Attack on MDM HQ in Chiúta
Frelimo-clad individuals stormed the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM) district
headquarters Tuesday (24 September) in Mange, Chiúta district, Tete. They assaulted the party delegate and other members and destroyed party flags and posters. The case was reported to the police without arrests, but MDM subsequently brought charges against the police for increasing the damage.
According to MDM Youth League president Bier Fortunato MDM member Waissone Cornelio was seriously enough injured to require treatment at the local health centre. Others, including the party’s district delegate, Anastácia Jossias, were beaten but not seriously injured. Given the seriousness of the incident, the MDM has dispatched a provincial brigade to review the state of affairs.
In Tete, MDM members were banned from campaigning by the local community leader and the heads of ten houses in the village of Cahadire, in Furacungo, Macanga district on Thursday (26 September). District MDM delegate Athanasio Khewethe and his caravan were stopped on the grounds that they had no credential. Khewethe contacted the police and the National Election Commission (CNE) by telephone to ask for their intervention but to no avail. Eventually he gave up, yet no law requires members and supporters of political parties to be accredited to be able to campaign.
Four Renamo houses burned in Macossa
Four Renamo supporters in Dunda, Macossa district, Manica had their houses burned down at night between 9 and 14 September. The householders, Gildo Borges Tiago, Juvencio Bande, Serida Sixpence and Lenita Saidone, told the Bulletin that they accuse Frelimo supporters.
In the same district, at Nhamagua, Frelimo supporters are accused of setting fire to two grain stores and a motorbike belonging to Juvencio Bechane and Franze Binze, both Renamo supporters. Police say they are aware of the case but lack evidence.
Renamo Junta’ attack after Nyusi rally
Five gunmenn attacked the administrative post of Amatongas, Gondola, Manica, early Saturday morning (28 September). The attack took place in the 25 de Setembro neighborhood hours after Frelimo candidate Filipe Nyusi led a rally in the district.
The attackers fired four shots at a truck, punctured one of the front tires and shot the driver in the arm. “After the attack the guerrillas fled,” the district secretary, Bento Bernardo, told the Bulletin. There were no deaths and no other injuries. The driver was rescued by local people who took her to Amatongas Health Centre.
The truck was carrying goods from the port of Beira to Chimoio. This is the second attack on road traffic on the main Beira-Chimoio-Zimbabwe road. The first was on 17 September. They are blamed on the self-styled “Renamo Military Junta”, opposed to the Renamo leader Ossufo Momade and trying to halt the elections.
