Speaking to the Lusa news agency, the spokesman for the National Police in Huambo, intendant Martinho Kavita, said that the riots started shortly before 07:00 am on Monday, when the two classes of transporters blocked roads, burning tires and placing stones in the main access ways.
"The situation is under control, we still have some outbreaks where some motorcycle taxi drivers and some people who are also taking advantage of the situation have barricaded the roads, put tires on the road to burn, but in general the situation is calmer", said the responsible.
According to Martinho Kavita, there was a need to call in the Rapid Intervention Police, "to be able to restore order in the city", noting that stones were thrown against many structures.
Martinho Kavita confirmed the arrest of demonstrators, without clarifying the number, the seizure of vehicles and motorcycles, as well as material damage to public and private property, not confirming the reports of deaths and injuries.
"There are reports of damage to public and private property, we think that by the end of the day we will be in a better position to assess what was really damaged", he stressed.
In some videos, which circulate on social media, we see Rapid Intervention Police in the streets, at least one bloodied person on the ground and some shots.
The police spokesperson in Huambo highlighted that the riots were registered throughout the city of Huambo, including the municipality of Cáala.
"National Road 120 towards Huambo/Caála and 260 towards Caála/Huambo were also barricaded, tires were burned on this road, stones were placed over the bridge to prevent vehicles from passing", he said.
According to Martinho Kavita, "the situation did not only affect motorcycle taxi drivers, because, in fact, the confusion arises from the fact that there was part of the class that wanted to perform and another part did not want to and they started to attack each other".
"Those who didn't want to work understood that they should prevent others from working, so this caused an uproar and forced police intervention", he said, noting that the peripheral neighborhoods of the city and the main exits were affected.
"For those who go to Chipipa, Caála, Kambiote, essentially and for those who go to the centrality of Lossambo", he added.
Since last Friday, the Government began the gradual reduction of the fuel subsidy, starting with gasoline, which went from 160 kwanzas per liter to 300 kwanzas per litre, without affecting public transport, namely taxi drivers, motorcycle taxi drivers, buses and artisanal fishing vessels.
The attribution of personalized cards, with a daily allowance of 7000 kwanzas, was the mechanism found by the State to serve only licensed members of this class.
The police sent an update of the data for later.
