Mozambican police sent written messages to cell phones (SMS) this morning asking the population to refrain from "criminal practices", on the first day of a week-long general strike called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane.
"The vandalization and sabotage of public and private infrastructures and assets, the obstruction of access roads, the burning of tires on highways, are acts that negatively interfere with public order in the country", says the SMS that is being sent by the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM).
"Refrain from these criminal practices", the message also appeals.
Venâncio Mondlane called for a week-long general strike in Mozambique starting today, demonstrations at the district headquarters of the National Elections Commission (CNE) and marches in Maputo on November 7th.
In a patrol carried out by Lusa early this morning in the capital, practically no movement was visible on the streets, with establishments closed, despite some public transport being operational.
Police reinforcement is also visible on the city's main arteries, but no problems have been reported so far.
It is possible to see that Internet services such as the WhatsApp messaging platform are operating with limitations, at least in Maputo.
Mondlane designated this as the third stage of the challenge to the results of the October 9th general elections announced a week ago by the CNE, which follows the protests held on the last 21st, 24th and 25th.
The protests degenerated into clashes with the police, which resulted in at least 10 deaths, dozens of injuries and 500 arrests, according to the Center for Public Integrity, a Mozambican non-governmental organization that monitors electoral processes.
The protest called by Mondlane received the support of around 40 opposition political parties, mainly extra-parliamentary, who announced on Wednesday an "unprecedented alliance" to challenge the results announced by the CNE and promised to "lead the people" in the challenges, considering that if deals with constitutional law.
Also on Wednesday, the Mozambican Government warned that it "does not want a repeat" of the almost total strike recorded over three days last week, promising security to companies, given the call for a seven-day strike.
"Our appeal is that companies remain open. Our appeal is that workers, employees, go to their workplaces. The Government will do everything possible to guarantee safety and we want the country not to have a shutdown, because this will have major effects on the country's economy", said the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Silvino Moreno.
On Monday, PRM announced that it had opened a criminal case against Venâncio Mondlane and supporters, due to the escalation of post-election violence in the country.
According to the Minister of the Interior, Pascoal Ronda, Mondlane is commanding, from South Africa, the "manipulation of public opinion", inciting violence through social networks.
In his intervention on Tuesday on the social network Facebook, Mondlane called for demonstrations at local structures of the CNE and headquarters of the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo, party in power) from today, for those who do not have the ability to move, asking others, from all over the country, to start their trip to the capital by November 7th.
"We are going to fill the entire city of Maputo and I am predicting four million Mozambicans (...), a flood never seen before", he appealed, acknowledging that he was asking the population for "a sacrifice".
The CNE announced on October 24th the victory of Daniel Chapo, supported by Frelimo, the party in power since 1975, in the election for President of the Republic on October 9th, with 70.67% of the votes.
Venâncio Mondlane, supported by the Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos, extra-parliamentary), came in second place, with 20.32%, but stated that he did not recognize these results, which still need to be validated and proclaimed by the Constitutional Council.
Frelimo also reinforced its parliamentary majority, increasing from 184 to 195 deputies (from 250), and elected all 10 provincial governors in the country.
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