A tragic chain of events in Mozambique has left two people dead and exposed deep tensions between law enforcement and communities. A 12-year-old child was shot dead by police, sparking violent retaliation from locals who lynched an officer of the Mozambican Republic Police (PRM) and blocked the country’s main highway for hours.
The incident unfolded early Monday morning in Bobole, Marracuene district, along the busy National Road Number One (EN1). A vehicle travelling from South Africa towards Manica province had just passed the Nyongonhane checkpoint when it was pursued by PRM officers.
According to witnesses, as the driver attempted to present his documents, one of the officers opened fire. The bullet pierced the rear window and struck a child seated in the back, killing him instantly.
“The moment was shocking. The child was gone in seconds. People could not believe what had just happened,” recounted Mathew Nyamunda, a transporter who witnessed the scene.
Fury erupted almost immediately. The four officers involved tried to flee; three managed to escape, but one was caught by the crowd. Witnesses say he was beaten and burned to death in broad daylight.
“They set him on fire with plastic and grass. He tried to run, but they dragged him back and finished him off,” said a local a resident, quoted by the local media.
The situation quickly spiralled. Protesters blocked EN1 with abandoned vehicles, paralysing traffic for over seven hours. Long queues formed as travellers, including families and cross-border commuters, were stranded.
In response, PRM spokesperson Leonel Muchina confirmed the shooting and acknowledged police “incompetence” and irresponsibility. He announced that the surviving officers are in custody and face disciplinary action, with proposed dismissal. The force has also pledged assistance to the bereaved family for funeral arrangements.
Despite these assurances, the community of Bobole remains shaken. For them, official statements do little to ease the pain of losing a child or to erase their anger over perceived police impunity.
The unrest in Maputo province coincided with another lynching incident in Nampula, northern Mozambique. There, a 55-year-old man accused of attempting to steal a motorbike taxi was beaten to death by residents, while an accomplice was severely injured and remains in hospital.
Police in Nampula condemned the violence and urged the public not to take the law into their own hands. “Suspects must be reported to the police. Those who resort to mob justice will be held criminally responsible,” said PRM spokesperson Rosa Chaúque.
The two lynching cases highlight a dangerous pattern of vigilante justice in Mozambique, where mistrust of institutions often pushes communities to act violently in response to crime and misconduct.
