The Portuguese-origin company Dimatel, which has operated for 19 years in Maputo, will close its doors on March 31, leaving at least 30 workers unemployed, after being vandalized and looted during post-election protests.
A company source told Lusa today that its premises in central Maputo were vandalized and looted following the general elections of October 9, 2024, during which two people died amid the post-election chaos.
The company’s administrators, the source added, even slept inside the facilities during the protests in an attempt to prevent further looting, which occurred again on January 15, 2025 — the same day Daniel Chapo was sworn in as Mozambique’s fifth president following the general elections.
Dimatel, the Mozambican subsidiary of a Portuguese company, specializes in the distribution of electrical materials and has begun informing clients and suppliers of the “permanent closure” of its operations.
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“It is with great regret that we announce the definitive closure of our activities, effective March 31, 2026,” reads a letter accessed by Lusa.
The decision, it explains, “results from a set of adverse factors faced throughout 2025,” including “social instability and protests that culminated in the vandalization” of its warehouse and office, as well as “persistent difficulties in importing goods” and a “shortage of foreign currency in the market, directly impacting the sustainability of the business.”
“We reiterate our sincere thanks for all these years of collaboration, trust, and support. We leave with memories of having built strong relationships based on respect, professionalism, and friendship,” the company added.
More than 400 people died between October 2024 and March 2025, mostly in clashes with police during the post-election protests in Mozambique, considered the most serious in decades. The demonstrations were called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who has never recognized the election results or the victory of Daniel Chapo, backed by the FRELIMO.
The protests led to the vandalism and looting of hundreds of companies and public institutions across the country.
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Venâncio Mondlane said earlier this month that the five criminal cases against him related to the post-election protests have already been sent to the Supreme Court, which will try them, declaring himself ready for trial.
“My friends, I am here only to inspire you; attacks will always come. Now some first-hand information: my case involving five charges has now been sent to the Supreme Court, and I told my lawyer to convey my greetings to the judge who will try my case,” said Mondlane.
More than 400 people died between October 2024 and March 2025, mostly in clashes with police during the post-election protests in Mozambique, considered the most serious in decades. Photo: Luisa Nhantumbo/EPA
In July, the former presidential candidate was charged by the Public Prosecutor’s Office with five crimes related to the protests, including incitement to collective disobedience and terrorism — accusations he denies.
The prosecution accuses Mondlane of “material and moral authorship, in real concurrence of offenses,” including public apology of crime, incitement to collective disobedience, public incitement to commit a crime, incitement to terrorism, and encouragement of terrorism. The trial has not yet been scheduled but is expected to take place at the Supreme Court, given his status as a member of the Council of State.
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“I am well. I could not wait for this to happen. I am ready to enter the courtroom, sit in the defendant’s seat, and be judged for a noble cause — the cause of awakening a people, fighting for a people, fighting for the liberation of a people. It is a noble cause, and they will be doing me a great favor,” he said.
Under Mozambique’s Constitution, as the second most-voted presidential candidate, Mondlane assumed a seat on the Council of State on September 1, which grants immunity to its members — although this can be lifted by the body itself.
In October, Mondlane said he wanted his immunity as a Council of State member lifted so he could stand trial: “Yes, it was possible to come to power by force. All the conditions were there. Practically the entire operational police structure was dismantled — repeating, it was inoperative — and they no longer had the capacity for repression as they did immediately after the vote.”
