Supreme Court Assures Venâncio Mondlane Will Not Be Arrested Upon Return to Mozambique
The President of Mozambique’s Supreme Court, Adelino Muchanga, has assured that there is no arrest warrant against presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, stating that he would be a free man should he return to the country. “In Mozambique’s courts, there is no arrest order against Engineer Venâncio Mondlane. This means that if he arrives in Mozambique today, given the absence of such an order, he remains a free citizen,” Muchanga declared during a press conference held today.
The Supreme Court president clarified that outside of cases of flagrante delicto, arrest orders in Mozambique can only be issued by a court. In his capacity as head of the judiciary, he confirmed that no such order exists.
However, Mondlane faces three charges brought by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Two of these are civil cases requiring him to pay approximately 150 million meticais in compensation to the Mozambican state. The third is a criminal accusation involving alleged conspiracy against state security.
The latter charge has already led to the detention of Vitalo Singano, leader of the Democratic Revolution Party (RD) and a former Renamo dissident. Singano is accused of “conspiracy” in a case alleging an attempt to violently alter the constitutional order. The charges are based on investigations by the Office for Combating Organized and Transnational Crime (GCCCOT), which claims evidence of coordination between Singano and other individuals, including members of Mozambique’s Defence and Security Forces (FDS), aimed at recruiting individuals with military experience to join the effort.
Renowned lawyer Damião Cumbana, however, expressed skepticism over Muchanga’s assurances, noting that Singano’s detention for similar allegations makes Mondlane’s potential arrest upon return more likely. “If Vitalo Singano has been detained for conspiracy, it is natural that other citizens facing the same charges, including Venâncio Mondlane, will receive similar treatment,” argued Cumbana.
Mondlane has repeatedly called for the dismissal of the charges against him as a prerequisite for engaging in dialogue with President Filipe Nyusi to address Mozambique’s post-election crisis, which has now stretched into its second month.
Mondlane’s leadership of ongoing protests has been highly controversial. These demonstrations, triggered by allegations of electoral fraud, have reportedly resulted in over 80 deaths and significant damage to public and private property, further deepening the country’s instability.
