Mozambique's former rebel movement Renamo, now the country's largest opposition party, last week manhandled and expelled from its offices a woman who was demanding that the party pay up money it owes her family.
According to a report in Tuesday's issue of the independent newsheet "Diario de Noticias", the woman, Berta Mandlane, went to the Renamo headquarters last Wednesday, and asked for rent which Renamo has not yet paid on buildings in Beira owned by her relatives.
Mandlane had with her the official document which gives her power of attorney to act on behalf of these relatives.
But Renamo was not interested in her document, and much less in paying any rent. Renamo general secretary Viana Magalhaes ordered her thrown out of the building.
Other Renamo members carried out the order, beating her as they did so. They told her she had no right to discuss finance with them, and that she could go and complain to whoever she liked.
One Renamo sympathiser who watched this ugly scene told the paper "They showed contempt for the power of attorney she was carrying, and told her she should have brought the rent contract. It was sad".
When "Diario de Noticias" contacted Magalhaes, he declared that Mandlane "should show us the contract for this business. She can present complaints to the police".
He also menaced the "Diario de Noticias" journalist, saying "If you write about this, we can mobilise our contingent, part of the new wave of leaders in this party, in order to restore order".
Should the paper publish the story "That will show whose side you're on", raved Magalhaes.
Fonte: AIM
