Mozambican capital city Maputo turned into ghost town as opposition call for national shutdown over election irregularities

Mozambique’s capital city Maputo has virtually been turned into a ghost city this morning as millions of Mozambicans have united in response to opposition parties’ calls for a nationwide shutdown.

The move is an expression their dissatisfaction with alleged irregularities in the electoral process and potential election results.

Mozambican presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, currently ranked second according to the National Electoral Commission (CNE) count, announced a general shutdown of public and private activities starting Monday, October 21.

The measure, which aims to contest the election results, was announced through a video posted on his official Facebook page, in which Mondlane made a direct appeal to the Mozambican people.

The candidate explained that the shutdown will begin at midnight on Monday and will be accompanied by peaceful demonstrations, including the display of posters repudiating what he considers a dictatorial and corrupt regime.

Mondlane expressed discontent with what he described as the “kidnapping of the country by a small predatory elite” that, according to him, has dominated Mozambique for five decades.

“The time has come for the people themselves to give the signal that the people are in charge. On Monday, my brothers, we declare a general national strike, a shutdown of all public and private activity,” said Mondlane, adding that the action could escalate if the situation does not change.

The presidential candidate highlighted the presence of armoured vehicles in several areas of the city of Maputo, but assured that the strike would take place peacefully and that the security forces “will be of no use.”

Mondlane stated that the strike action is the first step to demonstrate popular dissatisfaction and promised that, if the alleged electoral irregularities continue, other, tougher measures will be implemented.

Club of Mozambique