South Africans who still intend to visit their much-loved Mozambique holiday destinations are taking a risk.

Veteran investigative journalist Fernando Lima, currently affiliated with the online publication Zitamar in Maputo, told Caxton Network News that the situation is unpredictable and has deteriorated considerably since the weekend.

Protest actions started soon after the election results were announced late in October. When it was declared that Frelimo Party candidate Daniel Chapo had secured over 70% of the votes, Venâncio Mondlane, the leader of the Podemos party and a favourite in the presidential election race, immediately called for protest action.

Mondlane was adamant that he was, in fact, the winner of the presidential election and outlined conditions for participating in dialogue with the Frelimo president.

The talks did not materialise and Mondlane announced the first round of protests, which were controlled. All traffic was halted between 08:00 and 16:00.

However, since the weekend, the nature of the protest action has changed.

“The situation has deteriorated considerably. Before the weekend, we were free to drive around and go home safely within the protest hours, but it has become unpredictable and violent. Shops have been looted, police stations have been attacked and one can’t drive outside the protest hours and think you will be safe,” said Lima.

He stressed that trucks parked on roads and debris from the protest actions make driving challenging and said that Mozambique’s roads are hazardous and in poor condition in most areas.

According to the official death toll, more than 100 protesters have been shot.

Lima said while tourists are not targets, opportunistic young ‘bandits’ have become a hazard and are causing havoc.

Major projects threatened

Protests have escalated to major projects and two major power plants in Ressano Garcia, which provide electricity to Maputo and the south of Mozambique, were shut down as a precautionary measure due to threats from protesters.

The electricity was restored after negotiations but Mozambicans felt the impact of the outage.

Zitamar reported that a sand mine owned by Kenmare Resources on the Nampula coast was also threatened by demonstrators when they swarmed the airstrip while a plane was landing to bring in rotational staff.

According to Lima, it is impossible to predict which direction the demonstrations will go.

Turbo V8 Super phase of protests will start on Monday

In a Facebook live last night (Tuesday), Mondlane announced their ‘4×4 demonstration phase’ has come to an end and that he would announce the start and details of the ‘Turbo V8 Ultra/Super phase’ on Monday, December 16.

He further declared that from today (Wednesday), all mines in the country must be closed, taxes and fees suspended and tolls not to be paid until traders have free access at borders. These measures will remain in place until Mondlane ‘will take office on January 15’.

His announcement comes shortly after a statement earlier this week that he rejected the possibility of repeating the October 9 general elections.

Mondlane warned that the next (fourth) phase will be ‘extremely painful’ for the country because the ‘regime is ‘engaging in a tug of war with the people’.

The ruling Frelimo Party has not reacted to the latest announcement.

The coming weekend will be quieter and Mondlane said it would provide an opportunity for the people to hold funerals.

In a previous Facebook live broadcast on Sunday, Mondlane urged his followers to act with more vigour and determination. He stated that he had survived an assassination attack and would respond to it by implementing the Turbo V8 Super phase.

He added that some of the plans included the closure of all Frelimo headquarters. “This year, the Christmas celebrations will be held in the streets in the form of demonstrations,” Mondlane stated.

He said the people were tired of being oppressed, but not tired of fighting.

The election result investigation is in the hands of the Constitutional Council, which will announce its findings on December 23.

Widespread reports of fuel and food shortages have been shared on social media.

The government has also deployed large numbers of police and military forces.

South Africans in Mozambique urge people to stay away

A South African couple who has lived in Mozambique for 25 years and wish to remain anonymous, told Caxton Network News that they have not experienced anything like the current protests.

“What you see and hear in South Africa is not even a close reflection of the truth. We should respect the protesters and holidaymakers should stay away. They have no idea how dangerous it has become. The safety of your family should come first. We will try to leave the country this week and hope to go through the Zimbabwean border.”

On Tuesday, the All4Fun resort in Bilene announced that they were not taking any bookings and that visitors could postpone their visit. “We also truly appreciate that you are more than willing to reschedule your visit with us instead of requesting a refund. Since the situation escalated to Marracuene, it has been extremely volatile.”

A Pretoria couple who decided to ignore warnings and entered the country on Tuesday had a harrowing experience on their way to Morrungulo where they own a holiday home.

In voice notes shared with Caxton Network News by family members (with their consent), the couple first reported that they had a relatively smooth entrance through Swaziland and were also tuned into the Zello channel for assistance. They stated that their journey through Maputo was easier than anticipated.

In the second message sent in the early morning hours from their halfway stop in Macia, the couple relayed a horrendous experience.

At the blockade close to the second Heineken factory on the EN1, there was a show of force from the police and the defence force. After paying a bribe, they took a detour and joined the main road again once past the blockade.

At the second blockade, they had to pay 200 meticais per car and took advice from a local to take another detour – a decision they regretted.

The next hour was pure hell. They had to drive through bushes, a riverbed and a swamp area. On this stretch of unknown territory, they encountered three blockades and were threatened with assault if they did not pay the bribes.

“Everyone was drunk and it was total chaos.”

Their trauma didn’t end there. At the exit of the detour, they could see what looked like thousands of protesters sleeping on the road. They drove on but the road conditions were dangerous, with trees, boulders and debris everywhere. To top it all, the boat trailer had a flat tyre.

“If someone told me what we were going to encounter, I would not have believed them. It is not the same Mozambique we know. I’m too scared to even tackle the rest of the journey.”

Caxton Network News established that they have since arrived safely at their destination but are unsure about their return trip.

Driving through bushes to get to the border

Reporter Buks Viljoen spoke to Johan and Mariska Willemse from Mbombela, who had a similar experience when confronted by protesters.

The Willemses left the city on Friday for Xai-Xai to fetch a family member and his friend.

“On our way back on Saturday afternoon, we were confronted by an unruly mob blocking the road. They surrounded the car, pushed Johan around and kept referring to the young lady in our vehicle,” said Mariska.

Eventually, the Willemses and three other vehicles, also trapped in the blockade, drove through the bush to get away.

“With the help of a farmer, we managed to bundu bash all the way to the Eswatini border post. It took us 24 hours to get out of the country and back to safety in South Africa. I have never been so scared in my life.”

A well-known tourism role player engaged with Caxton Network News in writing, but also asked for anonymity due to the political tension: “If the Constitutional Council chooses to perpetuate the outcome, this place will go crazy and if they succeed to kill or harm Mondlane, the country will burn.

“Tourists are not the target but they have been requested to rethink their visits. I know that many of you have been coming to Mozambique for many years and you believe that it is your right to come, but we don’t want to see anyone hurt or killed because we advised that all is fine and you can travel safely. Everything is not fine and to travel in Mozambique is not safe.”

According to Lima, there is no light at the end of the tunnel. “While there have been calls for opposing parties to come to an agreement, nothing has yet transpired.”

• This is a developing story and Caxton Network News will post regular updates.