The presidential candidate supported by the Democratic Alliance Coalition (CAD), Venâncio Mondlane, escaped an assassination attempt during a rally on Sunday evening in the district of Zavala, Inhambane province.

The attempted murder was allegedly perpetrated by an individual identified as a probationary agent of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique, assigned to the District Command of Zavala, Quissico municipality.

He was in plain clothes and infiltrated the crowd, placing himself behind Venâncio Mondlane's escort line.

The PRM agent was neutralized after violently trying to break through the CAD candidate's escort barrier to get close to him.

"At that very moment, security stopped the trainee guard and noticed that he was carrying a gun with 15 bullets in the magazine. The gun was taken away from the accused and left in the possession of the CAD office in Quissico," reads the note. The plainclothes officer is said to have justified an order to protect Venâncio Mondlane.

A PRM contingent tried to recover the weapon from the attempted martyr, but the CAD delegation said they would only do so at the nearest District Command or police station.

At the District Command, the CAD delegation, including the victim, presented the case to the authorities. The Zavala prosecutor, Tomás Jesus, also went to the scene at the behest of the Provincial Prosecutor. Statements were made to the Prosecutor's Office to open a case and begin investigations.

However, moments before those involved in the case went to the prosecutor's office, "the police officer in question went on the run with the complicity of the district commander and the head of operations".