Wife of jihadist-accused says her husband is falsely implicated

The wife of Andre Hanekom‚ accused by Mozambican authorities of being one of the leaders of a jihadist group in northern Mozambique‚ says her husband is innocent.

Francis Hanekom said “influential people” wanted to implicate her husband in a crime as they desired his property on the beach in Palma‚ northern Mozambique.

Francis was responding to a news report on New Year’s Day that Mozambican prosecutors had named her husband and two Tanzanians as leaders of a group established to create instability‚ prevent the exploitation of natural gas in Palma and later create an independent state.

For 25 years the Hanekoms have been living in Mozambique, where he is a businessman. His family maintain that his arrest in August‚ when he was shot‚ was unlawful.

A petition was launched calling for his release.

Mozambican prosecutors claim he was responsible for the group’s logistics‚ including payment of salaries equivalent to R2,300 a month and for the provision of medicines.

Machetes‚ arrows and gunpowder were allegedly found at the home of Hanekom‚ who had been operating a maritime business in Palma.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday‚ Francis said the accusations were absurd.

“The police confiscated insignificant normal stuff from my house‚ and use this as proof that Andre is a terrorist‚” she said.

“Seriously. Did they take pangas [machetes]?

“Every home in Mozambique has a panga or two‚ as it is used for various tasks in and around the home.”

She also questioned the accusation that Hanekom had offered the group medical assistance.

“Three syringes‚ for the purpose of inoculating our goats‚ two bottles of expired vitamin tablets and my saline for the asthma nebuliser is proof of supporting terrorism?“

She said the salary mentioned was the amount that one of his workers received.

“It turned out that he was an inside informant to disclose the position of Andre the day he was shot.”

Francis said she had proof of this‚ and that the worker was dismissed. “Did they find arrows? I advise all not to buy local art for your home from vendors in the street.”

Although her husband was arrested in August‚ she said police had only come to her house on November 6 to confiscate the “evidence”.

“Three months after Andre has been shot‚ the first search was done at the house. Seriously. Someone being accused of terrorism‚ and police wait three months to investigate his home,” she said on Facebook.