At least 16 people have already died in the clashes that followed the elections. The South African MNE asks that “time and space be given to validate the electoral results.”
This Wednesday, South Africa expressed “concern” about the current insecurity situation in Mozambique and called for “calm” and “moderation” in the neighboring country, where at least 16 people have already died in post-election violence.
The head of South African diplomacy, Ronald Lamola, and his Mozambican counterpart, Verónica Macamo, spoke by telephone this Wednesday about the current situation of insecurity and the “end” of the electoral process in the neighboring Portuguese-speaking country, the spokesperson stated. South African ministerial voice to Lusa.
“They talked about the situation on the border with Mozambique, but also about exactly what stage the Constitutional Council process is in and how it will develop in the future,” said Chrispin Phiri, referring to the validation and proclamation of the electoral results announced in October. 24 by the National Electoral Commission (CNE) of Mozambique.
According to the CNE, presidential candidate Daniel Chapo, of the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo), in power since 1975, won the elections with 70.67% of the votes, generating popular protests after an appeal by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who contested the 20.32% of the votes attributed to him by the CNE, placing him as the second most voted, results that he declared he did not recognize.
Following the general elections, Mozambique is experiencing outbreaks of violent street protests, and Mondlane called on the population to hold a seven-day general strike, starting on October 31, culminating on Thursday with a national demonstration concentrated in the capital. Maputo.
On Wednesday afternoon, South African police dispersed a group of Mozambican protesters with rubber bullets at the Lebombo border post, between Komatipoort and Ressano García, which had been closed for security reasons for about two days.
“South Africa expresses Concern about the outbreak of incidents of post-election violence. and mourns the loss of life and destruction of property“We once again reiterate the call made by several Mozambican leaders to law enforcement agencies to quickly investigate these incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice,” highlighted the South African ministerial spokesperson.
Chrispin Phiri stressed that Pretoria “calls for calm and restraint, to allow the electoral process to conclude successfully and to give the Constitutional Council of Mozambique time and space to validate the electoral results in accordance with its mandate.”
“The formal election results process must be completed, and there must be space for it; Under Mozambican law, there is scope to challenge this result if people are not satisfied with it, he added.
The South African ministerial spokesperson also highlighted to Lusa that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) “has a very important role to play and has already convened a special summit”, a formal process that the country respects.
The Extraordinary Summit of the Troika of Extraordinary Bodies of the SADC and the Extraordinary Summit of the SADC were scheduled for the 20th, in Zimbabwe, according to the South African authorities.
Ronald Lamola visited the Angolan capital, Luanda, last Friday, where he met with the head of state of that Portuguese-speaking country, João Lourenço.
According to the Mozambique Medical Association (AMM), at least 108 people were shot and 16 died in the post-election violence of recent days in Mozambique.
Source: Observadora
