Maputo — Ricardo Manganhe, a teacher who works for the Chibuto Municipal Council in the southern Mozambican province of Gaza, on Friday confirmed that he had lent the car used in the murder of civil society and election observation activist, Anastacio Matavel, to a member of the death squad, Nobrega Chauque.
Giving testimony to the Xai-Xai provincial court, Manganhe said he was buying the car, a Toyota Mark X, from the mayor of Chibuto, Henriques Machava.
Manganhe said it did not occur to him to contact the police to reveal that he had lent the car to Chauque: he claimed he knew Machava would contact him about the crash.
Police inspector Justino Muchanga, who was in charge of the Gaza armoury of the Rapid Intervention Unit (UIR - the Mozambican riot police), from which the death squad obtained the guns used in the murder, told the court he only became aware of the assassination of Matavel the following day.
The trial is due to resume on Tuesday, when the court will hear evidence from relatives of Anastacio Matavel, from colleagues of members of the death squad, and from the owners of the cars damaged in the accident.
