More than 12,000 Mozambicans have lost their jobs due to the closure of companies and industries that were looted and vandalized during the post-election protests in the country.

If the scenario continues over the next few days, the number of unemployed could rise to more than 500,000, according to preliminary figures from the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA), as reported in the newspaper "O País".

The balance of the damage caused by the wave of looting, theft and vandalization of commercial establishments and businesses as part of the post-election protests has not yet been concluded, but from the little that has been ascertained, the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique speaks of enormous damage to industry.

In fact, even though the CTA has not concluded its final balance sheet, it estimates that so far more than 500 companies have been vandalized, especially in Maputo province, home to the country's largest industrial fabric.

"We're saying that around 40% of Mozambique's industrial fabric has been vandalized," said Onório Manuel, vice-president of CTA's industry department, quoted by the newspaper.

As for the value lost, the vice-president of the CTA's Industry department also speaks of large sums.

"As of the last survey, we already had more than 24.8 billion meticais that the Mozambican business sector had lost during these times of vandalization," he said.

Thousands of Mozambicans have lost their jobs and the number of unemployed could rise in the coming days. "And if the violent demonstrations continue, we run the risk of having more than 500,000 unemployed workers in the near future," he said.

The CTA warns that there will be shortages of many products in the coming days, but also that prices will rise on the market.

"Of the 500 companies that were looted and vandalized, a considerable number of them, unfortunately, are not going to stand up easily. And, of course, this will affect the lives of every Mozambican. And here, the lives of all Mozambicans are at stake, there won't be those who took part in the violent demonstrations or those who didn't," Manuel warned.