Maputo — The Maputo City Police Command called a press conference on Monday, but then refused to speak about the major law and order issue of the last week - the riots against price rises that rocked the city on Wednesday and Thursday.

Pressed by reporters, the Maputo City police spokesperson, Silvia Mahumane, said that the riots fell within the jurisdiction of the General Command of the police, and not that of the City Command.

She added that the situation was now calm thanks to strengthened police patrolling of the city.

Instead of the riots, Mahumane spoke of traffic offences. She said that, since 26 August, the police had fined 625 motorists in Maputo and had confiscated 247 driving licences for various infractions.

The fines and seizures resulted from the inspection of 1,393 vehicles, she said, and was part of the campaign to improve road safety and reduce the number of traffic accidents.

The weekend was relatively calm on Maputo's roads, with only six traffic accidents reported, and one death.

Mahumane said that the police breathalysed 25 motorists, nine of whom tested above the legal limit for alcohol in their bloodstream..