Nampula Council and Frelimo in Property Dispute

Maputo — The municipal council in the northern Mozambican city of Nampula on Friday reoccupied the building used by the municipal social services directorate in the Carruppeia neighbourhood, which is also claimed by the ruling Frelimo Party, reports the independent television station STV

Earlier in the week there were riotous scenes as Frelimo supporters tried to occupy premises which they alleged belonged to their party.

They changed the locks and tried to hoist the Frelimo flag instead of the municipal flag. But the building was defended by members of the opposition Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), which won last year's municipal elections in Nampula.

There were ugly scenes on Thursday when the police used tear gas to disperse the crowd gathered outside the building. Calm returned on Friday, and it seemed that the Municipal Council and the MDM major Mahamudo Amurrane had won this round.

Frelimo claims that the promises were built with the money of Frelimo members and then lent to the Nampula Municipal Council when it was in the hands of Frelimo. A Nampula Frelimo official held a press conference on Friday, declared that the building was Frelimo property, and calling the MDM “political illiterates”.

But he did not display any document which gives Frelimo legal title to the building, nor any contract between Frelimo and the Council.

Amurrane insists that the building is municipal property, and says he is more than willing for the matter to be decided by the courts.

Source: Allafrica - 21.06.2014