Demonstrations began late last month in the capital Maputo after Daniel Chapo, the Frelimo candidate, was officially declared the winner with more than 71 percent of the vote.

Opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane, who came second with 20 percent of the vote, went into hiding before the results were announced.

He cited fears for his safety after his assistant and lawyer were killed as they prepared to challenge the results.

Last week, soldiers were deployed to help maintain order during Thursday’s post-election protests, the largest since unrest began on October 9.

Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse thousands of protesters who lit fires and barricaded roads in Maputo.

Ronda said the protests had now been “banned” because of their “severity”.

“I no longer call these protests, I call them acts of subversion and terrorism because they terrorize people and children. That woman who sells bananas can no longer sell them. People cannot go to work; this is terror,” said Ronda.

The home minister accused protest organizers of using “drugged” youths to “destabilize” the country, saying their plans would fail because “crime will be fought”.

Some rights groups put the death toll at more than 30 in total.

Authorities have restricted Internet access across the country in what Human Rights Watch said was an attempt to “suppress peaceful protests and public criticism of the government.”

Opposition groups and observers have claimed that last month’s election was unfair and rigged, a claim the government denies.

The current president Filipe Nyusi is resigning after serving the two mandates allowed by the constitution.