VIOLENCE ROCKS MOZAMBIQUE FOLLOWING CONTROVERSIAL VOTE

Since Daniel Chapo, the candidate of the ruling party, Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO), was declared winner of Mozambique's 9 October presidential election with 71 per cent of the vote, the streets of the capital, Maputo, and other major cities have been fraught with tension and violence. That's because opposition supporters and election observers have raised concerns over irregularities, with the EU Election Observation Mission citing 'unjustified alterations' at certain polling stations. However, the preliminary report of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) observation team said the electoral process was free of irregularities. The regional group has, however, been accused of being biased towards FRELIMO.

Tensions escalated sharply after gunmen k*lled two senior opposition figures on 18 October, and police have been accused of blocking ambulances, in what are seen as political assassinations. In the following days, violence left 10 people dead from gunshot wounds and another 63 injured, with Gilberto Manhiça, head of the Order of Doctors, accusing police of a 'shoot to kill' approach. 

The protests reflect a deeper dissatisfaction in Mozambican society, as economic hardships and visible inequality fuel public anger.