Mozambicans demonstrate over rising cost of living

MAPUTO, Mozambique

Although most Maputo residents ignored anonymous calls for mass demonstrations on Thursday against the rising cost of living, police intervened against protestors in two neighbourhoods, according to a report by the independent television station STV.

The more serious incident was in the Luis Cabral neighbourhood on the N4 highway leading to South Africa. Here police used tear gas against rioters who were throwing stones at vehicles on the main road and trying to build barricades out of blazing tyres.

The barricades were quickly removed, the rioters were dispersed and reports of the incident did not mention any arrests.

Barricades were also thrown up in the outer Maputo neighbourhood of Magoanine, but this disturbance was short-lived, and again police removed obstacles to the flow of traffic.

On Thursday morning, anonymous messages continued to appear on social media. In one audio message, threats were made to attack and set on fire any vehicles circulating on the Maputo roads. Whoever made this threat used a voice distorter, so that he could not be identified.

"We want to finish with everything”, declared this chilling message. “We’ve had enough. We’re tired. 14 July 2022 should be a historic date, a date when all Mozambicans should go onto the streets to protest against this cost of living. If anyone puts his vehicle on the road, we shall burn it. We are warning you”. Despite this threat, the speaker said “we want a peaceful strike”.

The result of such messages was not to draw people into mass demonstrations, but to keep them at home. Few buses and minibuses were on the streets in the early hours of the morning. Queues built up at bus stops, but they were much shorter than on normal days. At several of the main terminals, armoured police cars could be seen.

Some shops closed for fear that they would be attacked by rioters, but nothing of the sort happened. By mid-morning, traffic was flowing along the main roads, but with many fewer vehicles than normal.

Some schools and creches shut down for the day. Others remained open, but without teachers – those who live a long way from their schools were unable or unwilling to make the bus journey.

The chairperson of the Mozambican Road Transport Federation (Fematro), Castigo Nhamane, urged all transport operators to put their vehicles onto the streets and ensure transport for passengers.

He urged them to trust the police who were on the ground to ensure safety for citizens who wanted to go about their normal business.

Fematro, he declared, “has nothing to do with any lack of discipline, or any act of disorder, which might be committed no matter by whom”. Despite the threats, Thursday should be treated “as a normal day, like any other”.