South African tourists locked up on terror charges

The latest victims of Mozambique’s increasingly indiscriminate use of terrorism accusations

Good afternoon. Two ageing South African missionaries who went on holiday to Inhambane now find themselves locked up in Maputo’s maximum security prison, the latest victims of Mozambique’s increasingly indiscriminate tactic of accusing people of terrorism.

The two men, aged 71 and 69, had brought supplies to send to an orphanage in Balama, Cabo Delgado. They were handing them over, as they had done in the year before, to a pilot operating a light aircraft of the Christian NGO Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), who would fly the goods up to Balama. The two South Africans and the American pilot were arrested in Inhambane for not having the proper documentation; somehow, that accusation has now been transformed into terrorism charges, and the men transferred from the police station in Inhambane, where they were arrested on 4 November, to the ‘BO’ prison in Maputo. This is their third week in the cells, and their lawyers seem to have no visibility on when they can hope to get out.

It’s probably a coincidence that this is yet another case connected to the district of Balama, where journalist Arlindo Chissale spent a week in the cells earlier this month. But there are signs that the authorities, who are understandably keen to be cracking down on the violent insurgency, are using the spectre of terrorism to oppress anyone they find undesirable.

At a meeting of the Higher Council on Mass Media (CSCS) in Maputo yesterday, which gathered together leading journalists with elements from the government, a representative of the Ministry of Defense accused journalists of unwittingly encouraging terrorism by “promoting terrorist activities”. Lieutenant Colonel Sergio Lino Marques, from the ministry’s department of policy issues, called on journalists to take a patriotic stance in their reporting.

He received a certain push-back from journalists at the meeting, who pointed out that it is not journalists’ fault that Mozambique’s armed forces have proved unable to defend Cabo Delgado and hold strategic towns such as Mocímboa da Praia and Palma — where they also looted banks. Participants at the meeting also asked about the whereabouts of journalist Ibraimo Mbaruco, who disappeared, apparently with members of the military, in Palma in 2020, and has not been seen since. Marques had no answer.

There is room for constructive engagement between the military and the media; it is normal for a country’s authorities to be able to ask the media not to report on sensitive military issues that could endanger operations or personnel.

But that kind of engagement seems a long way off — and recent events have an alarming echo of some that happened earlier in this conflict. Chissale’s arrest, and accusation of terrorism after taking photos, is similar to how the journalist Amade Abubacar was jailed in 2019.

And the apparently arbitrary arrest and jailing of the South African missionaries recalls the fate of Andre Hanekom, the South African businessman abducted by the police in Palma in 2018, to be later accused of terrorism. He was never released, and died in custody the following year. His family are still waiting for justice.

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Agenda:

• Today: Finance minister Max Tonela and transport and communications minister Mateus Magala continue their visit to Japan

  • The trip will include meetings with Japan’s ministers of finance, foreign affairs, economy, transport and tourism; with executives of state finance institutions JICA and JBIC; Japanese oil and gas companies, and visits to Japan’s meteorological institute, an airport, and a public transport company

• Tomorrow: President Nyusi attends inauguration ceremony of the Coral South FLNG project, in Pemba, Cabo Delgado

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The latest from Zitamar News:

Bumper harvest narrows Mozambique's agricultural trade gap
A bumper harvest last year brought Mozambique close to self-sufficiency in certain popular foodstuffs - but imported wheat and rice remains vital to Mozambicans' diets

Palma police chief presumed dead in roadside ambush in Muidumbe
A worker for French NGO Solidarités International was also killed in the attack, the organisation confirmed on Tuesday

Tanzanian forces ambushed on the road in Nangade
Three insurgents were reportedly killed after they ambushed a convoy of the Tanzanian Armed People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) in Nangade district last week

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From the Zitamar Live Blog:

The IMF's executive board has concluded the first review under Mozambique's three-year Extended Credit Facility (ECF), allowing for the immediate disbursement of around $59m usable for budget support (statement here)

The rail line between the border at Ressano Garcia and the South African town of Komatipoort is expected to reopen fully on 27 November, 10 days after a frontal collision between two trains caused it to be closed.

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Also in the news:

• CFM upgrades Beira-Zimbabwe rail line (Notícias)

• Food crisis persists in Mozambique

• Another 2000 people displaced following Muidumbe attacks (Lusa)

• 1400 displaced people in Niassa are on the brink of starvation (VoA)

• Drug trafficking case at Macuse port (Integrity Magazine)

Today’s front pages in Maputo. Photo © Faizal Chauque / Zitamar News