Several Mozambican companies are concerned about the circulation of false documents following the looting of 25 December in the context of the post-election demonstrations, reporting the loss of documents and stamps, and calling for their verification.
These companies have been publishing notices asking customers and others to confirm the documents that may be circulating in the coming days, reporting that in the looting and vandalism that followed the announcement of the results of the general elections on 9 October, "confidential documents", contacts, letterhead and stamps were taken.
"We warn that, in the coming days, false documents may be circulating in our name", reads one such notice, published today by the company Maputo Grain Terminal, vandalized on 25 December, similar to that of MEREC Industries, also this Friday, when the MEREC Machava and MEREC Socimol units were looted.
"To guarantee their authenticity, we ask that all documents received be validated in advance," states another notice, published today by the company Espiga D'Ouro.
The Confederation of Economic Associations (CTA) estimated to Lusa on December 30 that more than 500 companies were vandalized during the post-election demonstrations in Mozambique and at least 12,000 people are now unemployed.
"These are companies that were vandalized and are located mainly in Maputo province, where most of the country's industrial fabric is located," Onório Manuel, vice-president of the industry department of the Confederation of Economic Associations (CTA) of Mozambique, told Lusa today.
According to the representative, more than 12,000 Mozambicans are currently out of work due to the closure of these companies and, if the situation continues, more people could lose their jobs.
"We are talking about the largest food industries in the country (...) which already have damaged equipment and their infrastructures completely destroyed (...) We will have a shortage of products and, probably, a galloping increase in prices", explained Onório Manuel, also adding that the number of business owners considering closing their doors due to insecurity is increasing.
On 23 December, the Constitutional Council of Mozambique proclaimed Daniel Chapo, a candidate supported by the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, in power), as the winner of the election for President of the Republic, with 65.17% of the votes, succeeding Filipe Nyusi in office, as well as the victory of Frelimo, which maintained its parliamentary majority, in the general elections of 9 October.
This announcement caused chaos throughout the country, with pro-Venâncio Mondlane protesters - who according to the Constitutional Council obtained only 24% of the votes - in the streets, barricades, looting and clashes with the police, who have been firing shots in an attempt to demobilize them.
Since October 21, when the protests against the process surrounding the general elections of October 9 began, the record of the electoral platform Decide, a non-governmental organization that monitors the process, counts almost 300 deaths and more than 600 people shot.
