Death Toll Rises as Protests Erupt Over Mozambique Election Results

Photo : Reuters

Silvio Jeremias was on his way home from his job at a petrol station on the night of 25 October when he came across a group of protesters in Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, demonstrating against the election results. Jeremias, a young father with a two-year-old daughter, was tragically shot and killed by police who fired live bullets into the crowd.

Daniel Chapo, the presidential candidate from the ruling Frelimo party, won the election with 70.7% of the vote, ensuring continued Frelimo rule, which has held power since Mozambique’s independence in 1975. However, the results have been widely disputed, with accusations of election fraud and voter manipulation circulating across the country.

The protests, sparked by the contested election results, escalated into violent clashes with security forces, resulting in at least 11 deaths and over 50 injuries. Human Rights Watch reported that the police used live ammunition to disperse crowds, and several deaths were attributed to stray bullets during these confrontations.

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Mozambique’s younger population, which makes up a large portion of the electorate, has increasingly turned against Frelimo. With an average age under 18, many young people are dissatisfied with the party’s long-standing governance. Venâncio Mondlane, a candidate from the opposition party Podemos, gained significant support among younger voters. Podemos claimed it won 53% of the vote and 138 parliamentary seats, but the official results granted Frelimo a significant majority with 195 seats.

Before the election, civil society groups had raised concerns about voter registration fraud, alleging that nearly 900,000 fake voters had been added to the electoral rolls. The Catholic Church and EU observers also cited serious irregularities, including ballot stuffing and unexplained alterations in the vote count.

Amid the protests, two prominent critics of the election, lawyer Elvino Dias and filmmaker Paulo Guambe, were killed on 19 October, raising further concerns about the safety of opposition figures. Their deaths fit a disturbing pattern of violence against activists, journalists, and politicians critical of the government, with little progress in holding those responsible accountable.

On 21 October, plainclothes police officers reportedly attempted to assassinate Venâncio Mondlane as he held a press conference near the location where Dias and Guambe were killed. Mondlane’s bodyguard, Amade Ali, was injured in the attack, struck by a live bullet in the cheek.

As the community mourns Silvio Jeremias, the grief of his family and friends has sparked wider calls for political change. Mourners, gathered around his coffin, wore t-shirts with his image and held up placards, demanding justice and the restoration of democracy. Some young protesters have been seen holding signs reading, “You can kill me, but don’t kill democracy.” The tragic events in Mozambique highlight the deepening political crisis, where many citizens are questioning the integrity of the electoral process and calling for an end to the violence.