Maputo, Mozambique – Nearly two years after a disputed presidential election was followed by months of protests in Mozambique, opposition politician Venancio Mondlane is preparing to face trial before the country’s Supreme Court.
Mondlane was notified by the court on August ۲۵, ۲۰۲۶, that he would stand trial over five charges linked to the protests that followed the October ۲۰۲۴ election. He is not under arrest and has not yet stood trial. Mondlane said he expected proceedings to begin within two or three months, although no exact date had been announced.
The charges are public advocacy of crime, incitement to collective disobedience, public instigation to a crime, instigation to terrorism and incitement to terrorism. Prosecutors brought the charges in July ۲۰۲۵ over Mondlane’s alleged role in the post-election unrest. He denies the accusations.
Salomão Moyana, a veteran Mozambican journalist and political commentator, told Al Jazeera:
“This trial is politically untimely, given the country’s current political situation. But at the same time, it is legally timely for Venancio himself, because it gives him an opportunity to finally put these pending cases behind him.”
“He is not being accused by the court; he is being accused by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, by the Attorney General’s Office. The court is there to adjudicate.”
From the ballot box to the streets
Mondlane was an independent presidential candidate backed by the Podemos party in the October ۲۰۲۴ election. He finished second to Daniel Chapo, the candidate of the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo).
The Constitutional Council confirmed Chapo as the winner with ۶۵.۱۷ percent of the vote. Mondlane received ۲۴.۱۹ percent. Mondlane rejected the result and said he had won.
The disputed result was followed by months of demonstrations. More than ۳۰۰ people were killed in the post-election unrest, according to Reuters.
Prosecutors accuse Mondlane of contributing to the unrest through calls for protests and other forms of resistance, including messages posted on social media. He has rejected the allegations.
Andre Mulungo, an activist with the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), told Al Jazeera:
“The trial of Venancio Mondlane reflects a broader pattern of the judicialisation of politics in Mozambique. A crisis that is essentially political, marked by disputes over the election results and a lack of trust in electoral processes, cannot be resolved in the courts. Political problems require political solutions.”
Exile and return
Mondlane left Mozambique in October ۲۰۲۴ and went into self-imposed exile after the disputed election.
He said he feared for his life after Elvino Dias, his lawyer and adviser, and Podemos spokesperson Paulo Guambe were shot dead in Maputo on October ۱۹, ۲۰۲۴.
Mondlane remained outside the country while continuing to reject the official election result and communicate with his supporters.
He returned from self-imposed exile on January ۹, ۲۰۲۵, six days before Chapo was due to be sworn in as president.
His return came amid heightened security concerns. Thousands of supporters gathered at Mavalane International Airport in Maputo to receive him, while police blocked access to the airport and used tear gas. Reuters reported a heavy security presence around the airport. Mondlane was allowed to enter the country and leave the airport.
The government had blamed Mondlane for inciting the unrest and said he should be held responsible for damage caused during the protests. Chapo, meanwhile, said Frelimo was open to talks with the opposition.
Mondlane continued to challenge the election result after his return. He subsequently met Chapo in Maputo on March ۲۳ and May ۲۰, ۲۰۲۵, as part of efforts to address the political crisis. The meetings did not resolve the dispute.
In July ۲۰۲۵, prosecutors formally charged Mondlane with the five offences now before the Supreme Court. He denied the charges.
From election challenger to Council of State member
Mondlane subsequently became a member of Mozambique’s Council of State, an advisory body to the president.
His membership became relevant to the criminal case because Council of State members have immunity.
A Council of State deliberation dated June ۱۰, ۲۰۲۶, suspended Mondlane’s immunity to allow proceedings in case No ۵۲/۲۰۲۵-P to continue before the Supreme Court. The decision was made public in August, after Mondlane announced that he had been notified of his trial.
Mondlane challenged the decision, arguing that the Council of State did not have the legal authority to suspend the immunity of its members.
What is at stake?
The case could have consequences for Mondlane’s political future.
The Institute for Security Studies said in September ۲۰۲۵ that the charges could prevent Mondlane from contesting the ۲۰۲۹ presidential election.
That is not a judicial finding. Mondlane has not been convicted, and the trial has not yet taken place.
For lawyer Esau Cossa, however, the case could have consequences beyond the courtroom.
“It seems to me that he will not be imprisoned, but he will not have a clean record and will then be made ineligible to run in ۲۰۲۹,” Cossa told Al Jazeera.
The case could also have wider implications for public confidence in Mozambique’s justice system, particularly if it is seen as part of a broader political dispute rather than simply a criminal proceeding.
“The way the situation is evolving, the case is being perceived by society not simply as an act of justice, but as the use of justice as a political weapon. It is precisely this perception that must be avoided, because it further undermines citizens’ confidence in the institutions of justice,” Mulungo added.
