Rebellion and terror. These are the words that best characterize what happened yesterday in the towns of Chibuto and Chókwè, in the province of Gaza, considered a stronghold of the Frelimo party.

 During the demonstrations called by Venâncio Mondlane, young people destroyed public infrastructure and looted stores in Chókwè.

In Chibuto, around 80 inmates were released from the district jail and only eight parolees did not escape. It was a night of terror, reports the CIP Elections bulletin.

The revolt took hold of the demonstrators and the epicenter of the uprising was in Chibuto. The demonstrations began in the morning and lasted into the night. By 10pm, Chibuto was under fire. Some demonstrators were shot by the police.

In the evening, the hospital in Chibuto was full of people crying, allegedly because the police had shot their relatives. The police were also accused of throwing tear gas into the same hospital, writes CIP Eleições.

The demonstrators set fire to a local nightclub, allegedly owned by a Frelimo member and a relative of one of the party's leading figures.

There was also opportunism from some protesters who went to loot goods from a local supermarket. A lot of burning tires were seen in the middle of the road.

Two headquarters of the Frelimo party, the city committee and the district committee, were vandalized and set on fire. Some streets were blocked with barricades and tires were burned.

Almost all the stores were vandalized and looted. Only the banks were not looted, but they were already trying to vandalize them, claiming that "they (Frelimo members) are also theirs".

The police tried to contain the demonstrations during the night and early morning without success. The bullets were exhausted and the risk of being attacked by the demonstrators was obvious. The solution was to watch the demonstrators loot the stores. There is a trail of destruction in both cities, especially in Chókwè.

In Chibuto, most of the businesses destroyed are associated with the Frelimo party elite. For example, a Chinese tourist complex was vandalized because there are rumours that they are Filipe Nyusi's business partners. Similarly, a

Chinese supermarket for alleged links to the mayor of Chibuto.

The mayor had to leave his home for the District Command, for fear of the demonstrators. According to us, the demonstrators were saying that it was necessary to "visit the mayor".

On the same night, the demonstrators set fire to the Pamodzi complex, which is thought to belong to the family of Joaquim Chissano, the former president of Frelimo and of Mozambique, who was curiously born in Malehice, in the district of Chibuto. (Source: CIP)