Man accused of assaulting Josina Machel in court

MAPUTO: Rofino Licuco, the man accused of assaulting Josina Machel, the daughter of Mozambique’s first president, Samora Machel, and former education minister Graça Machel, has gone on trial.

Licuco was Machel’s boyfriend between 2012 and 2015. She testified in court yesterday that Licuco attacked her in October 2015.

He beat her face so badly that she was blinded in her right eye, she testified. Licuco denies the charge. His defence is that Machel “tripped and fell”.

These are almost the only details that are known about the trial.

Contrary to the principle that, with very few exceptions, all Mozambican trials are open to the public, reporters have not been allowed into the court room. No explanation has been given for holding the trial behind closed doors.

Josina is demanding compensation of 300 million meticais (about R58m).

Machel says, if granted the damages, that she will use the money to finance a project to support women who are victims of violence.

After the hearing yesterday, neither Machel nor Licuco were willing to make any statement to the media.

Graça Machel, whose second husband was Nelson Mandela and who was married to him at the time of his death in December 2013, told reporters: “I will make no statement until the end of the trial.

“Only after the verdict could I perhaps make a statement to the press.”

The trial has been adjourned until February 2.