"I think we're looking at one of the saddest pages of democracy in Mozambique," Fernando Lima, commentator and journalist, began yesterday during STV's informative night program, reacting the police's actions in preventing the march in honor of the artist Azagaia.

Fernando Lima also said that there is a wing within the Frelimo party that is against democracy, that is against freedoms.

"What we saw on Saturday was this more radical, more extremist far-right, fascist wing that, through the arm of the police, went to demonstrate and say that we don't agree with the way democracy is being exercised in Mozambique. Democracy is for OJM, for OMM and not for the people who liked Azagaia and wanted to demonstrate," said Lima.

The commentator believes that there was no reason to justify what happened on Saturday.

"I would like this aggression, the violence that has been shown against peaceful citizens on the streets of Maputo, to be used in Cabo Delgado, for example, where there is a threat to the state, and on the contrary I don't see this aggression against the bandits who want to destroy the Mozambican state and who destroy the property of Mozambicans and the state itself," said the commentator, adding that "there are certain decision-making levels in the ruling party that don't feel comfortable with democracy".

The facts...

On Saturday morning (18.03), heavily armed Mozambican police decided to tear gas a march in Maputo in homage to the social intervention rapper Azagaia, who died a week ago from an illness.

Law enforcement officers

 

People talking to a police officer

When it all begins...

As a result of the police action, more than a dozen people were arrested and 19 admitted to Maputo Central Hospital (HCM), victims of physical aggression by the PRM, and a citizen named Inocêncio Manhique lost an eye after being hit by a bullet fired by the police in Maputo city.

The police action also made it impossible for some shopkeepers to do business in the streets of Maputo city, which was underway at the time. Some people had their property destroyed.

I think this is one of the saddest pages of democracy in Mozambique

 

In the city of Beira, Sofala's provincial capital, 12 people were arrested and one was injured, an attitude considered "a disturbing pattern of reckless and illegal tactics against people during protests" by Amnesty International.

It is known that the demonstrations that were prevented in the cities of Maputo, Xai-Xai and Beira had been communicated to the local municipal authorities in advance, as required by law, but instead of guaranteeing the protection and safety of the demonstrators, the police used force to prevent the marches from taking place, claiming to have received "superior orders".

Civil society organizations, the Bar Association and legal experts are talking about the violation of human rights and the Constitution of the Republic itself. According to some jurists who were speaking to a national TV channel, there is room here for the state to be held responsible.

The scenario has also been highlighted in the international press. Several international organizations, including the United Nations, have already issued a statement condemning the actions of the Mozambican police.

At the moment, neither the government authorities nor the police have come out to comment on what happened.