Post-election political protests disrupt academic activities

Ongoing political protests in Mozambique have disrupted learning at institutions of higher education across the country amid claims that some students who participated in the demonstrations have been kidnapped and tortured.

Mozambique has been gripped by unrest since 24 October when the results of the 9 October election were announced.

Following the instability, the Southern African Development Community, or SADC, has been holding an extraordinary summit in Harare from 16 to 20 November, to discuss among other matters, the crisis in Mozambique.

Mozambique’s National Electoral Commission declared Daniel Chapo of the ruling Frelimo party the winner of the presidential poll with 71% of the votes, amid claims of election rigging.

Independent presidential candidate and Chapo’s main challenger, Venâncio Mondlane was declared the runner-up with 20% of the votes while Ossufo Momade, of the former rebel group, Renamo, came third with 6%.

Mondlane initially participated in the protests but has since left the country due to fears for his security and has been leading protests through posting instructions for his more than one million Facebook followers.

According to Amnesty International, Mozambican civil society organisations have alleged that the police have killed dozens of people, injured about 100 and arbitrarily arrested or detained thousands.

Mondlane has been announcing, at periodic intervals, protests, with the latest one, from 13 to 15 November, targeting provincial capitals and border crossings. The opposition leader is expected to continue announcing new dates for more nationwide demonstrations.

To underline the severity of the demonstrations, when Mondlane announced a new round of protests earlier in November, South Africa closed its Lebombo border due to security incidents “reported on the Mozambican side”, while Rwanda temporarily closed its embassy in Maputo.

Concern over students’ safety

Gimésio Teodoro Cândido, the president of the National Union of Students, told University World News that, during the protest period, many educational institutions did not open, including Eduardo Mondlane University, where he is studying.

“We had many students who joined the demonstrations and we even recorded cases of students who were kidnapped and tortured for allegedly being involved in the marches,” he said.

Cândido said there were calls for all students to go to university, but no one heeded the call, forcing the institutions’ closure.

The Mozambique Association of Youth and Students said some universities were forcing students to attend lectures during the protests, thereby endangering their lives.

They said education institutions must ensure the continuity of classes using remote learning platforms developed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The role of leaders goes far beyond simply ensuring the fulfilment of the curricula. It is also the responsibility of each and every education institution to protect and ensure the well-being of its students who trust these institutions for their education and growth,” the organisation said in a statement on 10 November.

Academic calendar affected

Dr José Capassura, a law lecturer at Alberto Chipande University in Beira, Mozambique, said his university was closed during two weeks of protests and opened a few days ago.

“There is no doubt that insecurity had a negative impact on higher education institutions, as it directly affected the academic calendar due to the interruption of classes and exams,” he said.

“There are injured students, who were victims of stray bullets in the city of Maputo, in particular. However, there is still no record of the exact number … there is work to be done to determine how many were victims of police violence. Most university students joined the protests.”

Capassura said that, with the reduction in the intensity of the protests, universities have started to operate again. He added that it is still difficult to predict whether the institutions will continue to function, as new phases of protests may still be announced.

Tomás Queface, an analyst at Cabo Ligado Observatory, told University World News that the protests have been affecting the education sector, mainly in the main towns, Maputo, in particular.

He said both lecturers and students try not to be caught up in the middle of violence, tear gas and shooting by the police.

“The other factor [to consider] is public transport. Whenever we have protests, public transportation is almost non-existent, as buses and other sources of public transport are advised not to go to the streets as they may be damaged,” he said.

This means that students and staff cannot go to campuses to continue with academic activities.