The Republic of Mozambique Police (PRM) in the city of Beira have warned presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane not to carry out any activities he had scheduled for that part of the country.

The complaint comes from the candidate himself, who says he was approached on his way out of Beira Airport by the Provincial Police Commander in Sofala.

"The first thing he did was come up to me and tell me that here I'm not going to do what I wanted to do, the communication and the march," he said, noting that this is a partisan, ignorant, ill-trained police force that doesn't know the law and the fundamental rights of citizens. "The main duty of the police is to protect freedoms, not to prevent them."

Speaking to journalists, he noted that the attempt to obstruct his activities is a violation of citizens' freedoms, but he is willing to go ahead with the plan.

Information in our possession indicates that the PRM command in Beira yesterday summoned all the commanders of 12 police stations to comply with the operational-preventive plan, because of a possible popular demonstration on the arrival of Venâncio Mondlane. Respectively, the commanders of the 7th, 8th and 10th police stations were to be accompanied by five operatives to reinforce the contingent from the 9th police station.

The tasks described are: to occupy all existing squares in each area of jurisdiction and to occupy all existing markets in each area of jurisdiction.