Maputo — Despite promises from the government, representatives of the Mozambican police force claim that the police are still not being paid on time.

Nazario Muanambane, chairperson of the Association for the Defence of Police Agents, told reporters on Monday that police wages are not being paid on the correct date, or in full - even though it is now a month since President Filipe Nyusi gave orders for police wages to be paid, even if those in charge of police finance have to use the old payment system, prior to the introduction of the new Unified Wage Table (TSU) for the public administration.

"Wages continue to be paid in a way we cannot understand', said Muanambane. "Some people receive their wages and others do not. If they do receive, their wages suffer a discount which nobody is able to explain. Nobody will publicly say whether the wages have been cut, whether this is a result of the TSU, or because there's been some failing'.

Nor had anyone informed the police whether the amounts cut from their wages would be paid back to them at some future date. Muanambane insisted on the urgency of an official source coming forward to explain what is happening with the police wages.

Muanambane also protested strongly at the public exposure of police agents accused of plotting to assassinate mayors from the main opposition party, Renamo.

This has happened twice - first with the Mayor of Nampula, Paulo Vahanle, and then with the Mayor of Quelimane, Manuel de Araujo. On both occasions, Renamo's own security grabbed the alleged assassin, who turned out to be police agents in plain clothes.

Should the same thing happen again, Muanambane said, the police might refuse to provide protection to political parties and their events.