People in Maputo are protesting an increase in chapa fares that went into effect today by blocking highways, smashing cars, and refusing to take the semi-collective minibus taxis that are the essential form of transport here in Mozambique. The violence and rioting started in the suburbs, but news reports are saying that the chaos has spread to the city center already.
I mentioned the proposed fare increase here, while discussing with the warehouse boys how this would affect their budgets. Basically, if someone earning minimum wage has to take two chapas each day to work and back, they are literally working just to pay their transport costs!
Understandably, the people of Maputo are incredibly upset about this increase, especially since it comes without any tangible improvements in the chapa service (i.e. better safety, improved licensing, more vehicles available, better routes).
You can read updates (in Portuguese) about the situation here, at Oficina de Sociologia.
Due to the boycott of the chapas and the fact that today is a holiday in Matola , there is barely anybody in the office (unfortunately we didn't get the day off, but some people decided to observe the holiday regardless, especially since yesterday was a national holiday). So I am wondering how and when I am going to get home... The driver who usually takes me is (rightfully) concerned about how he will make it home, since there is chaos along the road he must take, and he doesn't want to risk getting in a chapa due to the potential for violence. Maputo is completely backed up with traffic, and nobody particularly wants to drive around the city at the moment, so calling a taxi is not viable.
I suppose I'll just wait it out...I've got Cup-of-Noodles in my desk drawer, and plenty of tea to last through the day. Unfortunately, I don't have any *work* to do, but whatever. I was meant to have big salary and contract negotiations with Hugh Marlboro today, which is why I came to work in the first place, but I've yet to see him today.
10 comments:
Have you thought what if this takes Kenya proportions? one always says...no not here, but there is one reported death and I have myself witnessed 6 injured, 2 of which I can cofirm have bullets lodged in their thighs and knees respectively. I don't know if firing bullets is a way to control the crowds. People in the suburbs are getting their homes invaded and vandalised. How truly sad that a protest cannot be organized, clean, and peaceful. Whatever happened to the concept of unions?
Yes, it is a shame that nonviolent protest has not been the way of today's events.
I can understand where the rage comes from in the population - imagine working full time for minimum wage and barely having enough money to pay for your transport to your job and back in many cases.
However, I believe that assaulting shops, throwing rocks at cars, and becoming violent towards vegetable and bread sellers (all according to news reports today) is not the solution or the most effective way to make the popular voice considered.
I wondered why it was not possible just to boycott the chapas? Stay home from work, let people feel the economic impact of public transport that is inaccessible to the majority of the population.
It is all too easy to get into a mob mentality and have things spiral out of control. Certainly, it is in chaos like this that more serious violence can easily start, especially when the police start reacting and over-reacting to the situation.
However, I don't think it is necessarily the end. I hope I am right!
To clarify: I don't think it is necessarily the end, in the sense that there are other endings possible, not just violence spiraling out of control.
I hope there is a peaceful, prompt resolution and that the damages that have already been suffered stop here...
we are tourusts and arrived in maputo yestareday. this morning we went to the taxi rank/bus stop near the cemetary to take a bus to valinkulo. we arrived there at about 8am, paid for a bus fare then - after the usual hour or so wait - started to see smoke coming from the buildings nearby. there was then the sounds of gunshots. slowly things became more and more agitated until we had all got off the bus, the gunfire becoming more and more regular, interspersed with louder bangs. then (more?) police arrived in pickup trucks, wearing gas masks. though we were a good five hundred metres from the centre of the activity they threw teargas canisters into the middle of the road about ten metres from us - children were being grabbed and people were running - all of us were only waiting to take the transport - no one was protesting in this area. it was a very heavy handed approach. my husband and i ran. since then we have stayed in our hotel all day - each time we have gone outside, there have been gunshots/smoke/sirens. we don't understand portuguese fully and things have been very frightening.
They just raised the bus fare in Recife to R$1.75, so if you consider the 6 day work week, people are spending about R$85 a month for 2 buses a day on a minimum wage of about R$300--doesn't leave much for rent and food. The last time they tried to raise the fare (2006) the student movement protested and shut down the city, this time they did it right before carnival and during the summer when people aren't mobalized.
The last thing I read said that about 40% of the population in Recife could not afford to take the bus so many people run or ride bikes (if they can afford a bike and are willing to risk their lives, like my husband)to get to work. What happens to popular transportation if the working class can't afford to take it? We don't see a lot of our friends because they don't have money for the bus. There is no getting out of the periferia.
Be careful!!!!! with your travels and also with your lungs!
So sorry to hear of such troubled and violent times in Maputo. I do however understand why people would reach such a state. A salary needs to cover a lot more than transportations and I think costs should be adapted to how much people make. Simply because if there is no one to ride the bus, the loss will be more significant.
Take care and hope you get home safe!
Just passing by through your blog. I'm a mozambican living in lisbon, and i've seen the news about what happened there with great concern. My parents, girlfriend and most of my friends li in Maputo, although all of them live in the centre of the city and not the suburbs.
Just wanted to say that we must not forget the origin of these riots: very poor people, most of them with low or none education. Persons we see a very small group getting richer and richer everyday (specially the politics), while the big majority sees their lifes getting harder and harder. You see big and beautiful mansions along with slums at the other side of the street. This causes frustration and a general feeling of anger. Given this, you cannot expect a person in these conditions is supposed to act the way you would act in the same situation. I mean, I don't agree with all the violence that took place (and i'm referring to both the demonstrators and the police), but i understand why that happened. The mozambican is a very calm people. A very peaceful people. We already had our war, so we are tired of violence. That's enough. But, more than 15 years passed since the end of the war, the fact is that the majority of Mozambique is still living below the poverty line. And it seems to get worst and harder to them everyday (although the marcoeconomis stats are very beautiful to say).
If people don't have enough in their pockets at the end of the month, they do'nt have conditions to be rationals.
Nice blog and good stay in my beloved country.
Mozambique Hoye!
Paulo
Oi, só agora é que percebi que falas português, quando li na tua descrição dos motins que não sentiste receio, talvez por falares português brasileiro.
Resumidamente o que eu queria dizer é que, não concordo com a violência que foi gerada nas manifestações, mas entendo-as perfeitamente.
Não podemos exigir a uma pessoa analfabeta, extremamente pobre e revoltada que aja como uma pessoa civilizada. Tal como ficou patente que a polícia moçambicana não está preparada para agir nestas situações. A reacção da polícia é simplesmente disparar e ser violentos. E assim torna-se um cocktail explosivo.
Mas o moçambicano é por natureza um povo pacífico e calmo. Mas, como deves saber, a paciência tem limites.
Fica bem e espero que este episódio não tenha mudado a tua opinião sobre a minha terra.
Paulo
Sorry for the delay in commenting here...
~Rebecca Ray - I'm sorry that you got caught in such a dangerous situation, but glad to hear that you made it back to your hotel safely. I hope that you were able to enjoy the rest of your vacation. What you saw on Tuesday is not the norm for Mozambique, and I hope you were able to see the many very beautiful sides of this country.
~Catron - I think I'd walk given the choice. From your stories, it seems bikes are a prime target for assaltos... One question - when people demonstrate in Recife, are they violent protests, either on the part of the manifestantes or the police?
~Stacie - Thanks for your concern!
~Alina - I agree, minimum wage as well as the cost of services must reflect reality. On the one hand, it is reasonable for transport operators to want to cover their fuel and maintenance costs; however, the government must assure that minimum wage is proportional to what the people must spend on essential such as taxis, bread, rice, etc.
~Paulo - Obrigada pelos comentários aqui! I completely understand what you are saying here - that when conditions are so difficult for such a long time, there comes a snapping point where the people cannot take it anymore. I understand that it is very easy for violence to come out of this situation, and I wonder if in similar conditions I wouldn't also revolt against symbols of a system that keeps me and my people down.
My collegues were telling me that the riots on Tuesday were not just because of the increase in chapa price. They said it was the last straw in a long line of price increases without wage adjustments. The price of bread has gone up, so has rice, so has milk, so has sugar...then the increase in transport was too much to bear, and people were taking out frustration about many accumulated issues.
Thanks for sharing your perspective here!
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