Violence in Maputo as Seven People Die
Mozambican President Armando Guebuza regretted the loss of lives in a national address after four people were confirmed dead in riots in the capital Maputo on Wednesday.
“I sincerely regret the loss of human lives and the destruction of public and private properties, which most of the times are there to serve us and other individuals linked to us”, said Guebuza in a statement. While recognizing the country is not going through its best economic moments, he stressed that the riot does not solve the problem and makes it even worse.
Guebuza made the speech for the first time after the eruption of the massive protest against price hikes on Wednesday morning.
The protest diverted the nation from its main objective to eradicate poverty, an individual and collective cause, in his words.
According to the police, four people died and 27 others injured in the riot. The authorities also detained 102 people in connection with the turmoil.
The private television STV quotes hospital sources as reporting that 10 people were confirmed dead and more than 50 others injured.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets on Wednesday morning in Maputo, erecting roadblocks, hurling rocks to vehicles and setting ablaze the used tires.
Police said they shot into the air to disperse rioters, while protesters accused officers of shooting at the crowds.
Warehouses of food distribution in Maputo were vandalized as food products were the main stolen things during the riot.
The transport linking Maputo and provinces was paralyzed, especially roads to the southern part of the country.
Most of the streets continued to be blocked with big stones, burnt cars and tires, poles and wires until late at night.
The violent protest came in the culmination of strikes and demonstrations in the past few days in the Portuguese-speaking Southern African country, where police announced on Monday that they had permitted no protest of the kind. They said they were well prepared to stop any action detrimental to social stability.
According to a decision made in early August, the Mozambican government began on Wednesday to lift the price of bread by 30 percent. The price hikes for water and power could also hit more than 10 percent.
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