Mozambique’s oppo­sition leader Venâncio Mondlane has returned home from exile where he has been in hiding following Octo­ber’s disputed presidential election that sparked deadly protests.

Mondlane landed at the main airport in the capital, Maputo, on Thursday morning amid tension and heavy security, with thousands of people having gathered to welcome him.

He said he was returning to be closer to the protest movement that has seen weeks of nationwide demonstrations in which dozens of people have been killed.

His return comes ahead of next week’s swearing-in as president of Daniel Chapo, of the ruling Frelimo party, who was confirmed as the winner of October’s poll by the constitutional court.

After having emerged from the airport building, video shows Mondlane kneeling on the ground with a Bible in his hand being cheered by supporters.

He began to pray and swore to serve the people of Mozambique as the president elected by the people and not by a court.

In his first comments Mond­lane said that he was ready to talk about how to resolve the tension over the disputed poll, which he says was stolen from him.

“I’m here in the flesh to say that if you want to negotiate… I’m here,” he said.

Mondlane has been organising protests through broadcasts on Facebook, but over the weekend announced his impending return, saying they “don’t need to chase me anymore”.

In a defiant message he said: “If [the authorities] want they can kill me, but the fight will continue”.

Ahead of his landing, the airport was heavily guarded with police officers trying to prevent Mondlane’s supporters from reaching the area.

Roads leading to the airport were blocked with security forces restricting people from getting to the airport unless they had a ticket for a flight.

Tear gas was fired on crowds in the area and snipers were posi­tioned on buildings nearby, the Reuters news agency reports.

Mondlane said his return was “a unilateral decision” that did not result from any political agree­ment.

He maintains he won the election and has previously said he would install himself as president on January 15.

The final official results from the constitutional court two weeks ago gave Chapo 65 per cent of the vote and Mondlane 24 per cent.

Since the October election, waves of protests have left more than 270 people including protest­ers, children and members of the security forces dead, according to rights groups.

—BBC

Finance Minister, John Mbadi in an interview said some of the measures would be tweaked and not all would be revived, but they are needed to pay for expenditure including wages of teachers.

Some people who were involved in the youth-led protest movement that rocked the East African nation said they are ready to go back onto the streets after the minister’s announcement.

President William Ruto abandoned the finance bill for this fiscal year on June 26, and later dismissed most of his cabinet, bowing to pressure from protesters who had stormed parliament and launched demonstrations across the country.

The bill had contained new taxes and hikes to raise an extra two-point-seven-zero billion dollars – plans that the protesters said would pile pressure onto a population already struggling with surging living costs. Mbadi, who was brought into the cabinet from the opposition benches as Ruto tried to prop up his government, had ruled out further tax hikes during his first public remarks in the post on Aug. 4, 2024.

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Source: REUTERS