Mozambique’s top opposition figure, Venancio Mondlane, claimed on Monday that he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in South Africa, where he sought refuge after October’s contentious election.
In a video shared on Facebook, Mondlane said that he was forced to flee through a back door of his Sandton residence in Johannesburg after “assassins” arrived at his doorstep. He said he managed to evade them by slipping through a nearby hair salon and escaping with his family.
The South African foreign ministry stated it was unaware of Mondlane’s presence in the country and noted that any such incident should be reported to the police. Mondlane’s claims follow the deaths of his lawyer and another associate, who were shot while preparing to contest the election results in court on October 19.
Mozambique’s electoral authority declared Frelimo candidate Daniel Chapo the winner with over 70% of the vote, a result Mondlane rejects, claiming he won the election. The announcement sparked unrest, with at least 11 people killed by security forces and dozens injured, according to Human Rights Watch.
With accusations of election manipulation mounting from NGOs and international observers, Mondlane has called for a protest march in Maputo on Thursday, which he describes as “the day of Mozambique’s freedom.”
