The church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário, on the outskirts of Maputo, was small enough to receive thousands of people this morning, including hundreds of lawyers, for the funeral of Elvino Dias, legal advisor to presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane.
Maputo, 23 October 2024 (Lusa) - The church of Our Lady of the Rosary, around Maputo, was small to receive this morning thousands of people, including hundreds of lawyers, the funeral of Elvino Dias, legal advisor to presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane.
The funeral procession, which left the center of Maputo around 09:20 local time (less than an hour in Lisbon), took an hour to reach the parish, escorted by police and escorted by a group of motorcyclists, a journey made without incident.
On arrival, hundreds of Mozambican lawyers received the remains of Elvino Dias, one of two supporters of Venâncio Mondlane murdered on Friday in Maputo, including the Order's own baton, Carlos Martins.
In an atmosphere of deep consternation, the interior of the church became small, leaving hundreds to makeshift chairs outside the temple.
Speaking at the homily, the archbishop of the diocese of Maputo, João Carlos Nunes, acknowledged the general feeling in the temple: "We feel materially crushed by this blow".
Classifying this crime as "cruel and unexpected", the archbishop added: "The violence and barbarism that took his life shocks us deeply"
The archbishop said that Elvino Dias, despite "his early departure, lived a life full of meaning", dedicating his activity to "the defense of the rights of the most vulnerable"
"It will have been because it was not well understood and welcomed," criticized the archbishop of the diocese of Maputo.
He added that this death is "a warning", assuming: "Evil continues to threaten our society, our country and our city"
For the archbishop of Maputo, "it cannot be just to mourn" the death of Elvino Dias, arguing that it is necessary to "transform pain" with a "renewed commitment to justice, to truth and above all to peace"
"His death challenges us to continue this mission, the search for truth, justice and peace. We cannot be indifferent to the suffering that affects so many of our families," said João Carlos Nunes.
Candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who called for mass participation in today's funeral ceremonies, was not present, having announced in recent days that he is "in an uncertain part", however, the presidential candidate and leader of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM, third parliamentary force), Luther Simango, attended, in the church.
At the same time, the funeral of Paulo Guambe, electoral representative of the Podemos party -- which supports presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, of which he was a founding member, as well as a lecturer, argumentative, producer), appeared at the morgue of the Central Hospital of Maputo, the city center. and director.
His funeral is scheduled for the Jangamo cemetery, Inhambane province, southern Mozambique, on Thursday.
Mozambican police confirmed on Saturday to Lusa that the vehicle in which the victims were following, shot dead, was "ambushed"
The crime, as well as the challenge to the provisional results of the general elections of October 9, led Venâncio Mondlane to call peaceful marches in Mozambique on Monday, which were dispersed by strong police action, with tear gas and tear gas , and the clashes caused, according to hospital sources, at least 16 injured in Maputo.
The police response to the demonstrations was condemned by the international community and there were several calls for restraint from both sides, namely Portugal, the European Union and the African Union.
The elections included the presidential elections, simultaneously with legislative elections and for assemblies and provincial governors.
The National Election Commission (CNE) has 15 days to announce the official results, which ends on Thursday, October 24, after completing the analysis of possible appeals, but without a fixed time for that effect.
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