The accusations were made during the opening session of the convention, attended by more than 400 delegates. According to Mondlane, the party had informed district authorities of its intention to hold the gathering on private premises and requested police protection to ensure participants' safety. However, the request was reportedly rejected, with the local administration also refusing to authorise the meeting.
"Inhambane province and our party are almost in a state of declared war," Mondlane stated, expressing concern over what he described as increasing restrictions on the party's political activities in the region.
The Anamola leader specifically criticised the decision by the Inhassoro district administrator, alleging that police officers had been deployed to prevent a statutory meeting of the political organisation.
"What the administrator is doing today takes us back to 1975, even using special police forces to prevent a statutory meeting on private premises," he declared, accusing the authorities of violating political rights and reviving practices associated with Mozambique's former one-party political system.
Mondlane linked the incident to previous allegations of violence against party members in Inhambane. Among the cases mentioned was the killing of Elídio Facitela in September, in Zavala district, and an alleged assault on the party's local coordinator, who, according to Mondlane, had been tortured just days before the convention.
The opposition leader also denounced what he described as an increasingly insecure environment for political activists, alleging arbitrary arrests, intimidation and killings. During his address, he claimed that 55 people had been killed over the past year, although no independently verifiable evidence was presented to substantiate the figure.
Allegations of violence against Anamola members are not new. In May, the Mozambican Government publicly condemned the killings of members of the political organisation and called for investigations to identify and hold those responsible accountable.
Meanwhile, Anamola's first Extraordinary National Convention took place in Maputo, bringing together more than 400 delegates to discuss proposed amendments to the party's statutes, its ideological orientation and adjustments to its executive structure. The gathering represented another stage in the party's internal organisational development under Mondlane's leadership.
Mondlane, who contested Mozambique's October 2024 presidential election, is also facing legal proceedings related to the protests that followed the vote. His trial before the Supreme Court is scheduled to begin on 17 November.
At the time of reporting, the Inhassoro district administration had not publicly responded to the allegations concerning the blocked meeting, while police authorities had not provided clarification regarding the alleged deployment of officers to the venue.
