Mozambique companies unable to pay salaries due to election protests

MAPUTO, Mozambique

The Mozambican Federation of Contractors (FME) announced that around 58 construction companies have not paid salaries since November, due to the stoppages allied to the violent post-election demonstrations in Maputo, Mozambique’s capital.

“We’re already having difficulties invoicing because the companies can’t work, especially the companies that are working on public roads (…), we already have a situation of 58 companies that haven’t managed to pay their salaries [for November], they’re finding it impossible to pay, probably, the month of December,” said the head of the FME, Bento Machaila.

The head of the Mozambican Federation of Contractors also explained that the demonstrations are ‘largely’ affecting companies operating in the greater Maputo region, the metropolitan area of the Mozambican capital.

“With this situation of a week of complete paralysis, the companies will certainly not be able to pay the December salaries. The big companies in the construction sector, some are already closing their doors because of this situation that is being created by the demonstrations,” concluded Bento Machaila.

At least 76 people have died and another 240 have been wounded by gunfire in Mozambique in 41 days of demonstrations to contest the election results, the Mozambican non-governmental organisation (NGO) Plataforma Eleitoral Decide has said.

According to the report released by the electoral monitoring platform, which includes data from 21 October to 01 December, there were also “more than 1,700 people injured from various causes” across the country in these demonstrations and an estimated “more than 3,000 arrests”.

Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who does not recognise the announced election results, called on Monday for a new phase of electoral protest lasting a week, starting on Wednesday, in ‘all the neighbourhoods’ of Mozambique, with a halt to traffic.