Genetically modified maize tested in Chokwe

Testing of genetically modified maize is taking place at the Chokwe Agricultural Station, in the southern province of Gaza. The purpose is to identify a strain of maize, suited to Mozambican agro-ecological conditions that can tolerate drought and resist insect pests.
The first sowing of this trial maize, imported from the United States, took place in Chokwe on 18 February, in the experimental field run by the Mozambican Agricultural Research Institute (IIAM). It is part of the programme WEMA (Water Efficient Maize for Africa).
WEMA involves researchers from the IIAM, Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya and Uganda. The Chokwe experimental field was established recently by the IIAM specifically for trials of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
The first sowing was focused on a strain of the crop resistant to insects. Drought tolerant strains will be planted during the cool, dry season when, in much of Gaza, there is virtually no rainfall at all.

AIM

Mustang Resources Discovers Graphite

The Australian mining company Mustang Resources has discovered high-grade graphite at its Caula project in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado.

According to a company press release, “spectacular grades of up to 26 per cent Total Graphitic Carbon demonstrate the potential for Caula to become a low-cost supplier to the lithium battery industry”.
The cores from the drilling programme are being sent to Perth in Australia for testing and will be used to estimate the deposit’s reserves in line with the Australian code for reporting mineral resources.
Mustang has observed that the graphite deposit contains large flakes, and it will carry out a comprehensive analysis to confirm this finding.

c
Graphite is a form of carbon that is highly valued due to its properties as a conductor of electricity. It is used in batteries and fuel cells and is the basis for the “miracle material” graphene, which is the strongest material ever measured, with vast potential for use in the electronics industries. Graphite is also used for high-quality steel production.


AIM

German aid for Inhambane

The German government is making a further €1.18 million available for food aid and the acquisition of seeds in the southern Mozambican province of Inhambane.
This aid follows €550,000 donated last year, via the NGO Welthungerhilfe (German Agrarian Action), for food aid and combating the effects of the El Nino weather phenomenon in Inhambane. Last year’s project reached over 10,000 people in the drought-stricken districts of Mabote and Govuro. The new finance will allow German Agrarian Action to extend its
support to Massinga district, and to cover 25,000 people.
The food aid provided through this project will be supplemented by the provision of seeds to small farmers.
Massinga was one of the districts worst hit by cyclone Dineo, which struck Inhambane on 16 February.
Germany has also recently provided €500,000 to the NGO CARE-Mozambique, and €13 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), to improve the food situation of people affected by last year’s drought, and, over the medium term, to make them more resilient to drought.
German Agrarian Action has been operating in Mozambique since the late 1980s, providing emergency aid, and supporting rural development, and the provision of water and sanitation services.
AIM

posted from Bloggeroid

Rehabilitation of Manica power stations

The Mavuzi and Chicamba hydro-electric power stations, on the Revue River in the central province of Manica, have been delivered to the publicly-owned electricity company, EDM, after a complete rehabilitation.
Rehabilitation and modernization of the two power stations was in the hands of a consortium of French and Norwegian companies. It cost US$120 million and took three years. Although they will not be formally re-inaugurated until late March, they are already in use.
According to the project coordinator, Abraao Rafael, who is also EDM’s deputy director for electrification and projects, the final certificate testifying to receiving the stations after their rehabilitation was signed on 20 February.
EDM uses Chicamba and Mavuzi to supply electricity to Manica and the neighbouring province of Sofala, and the power is only sufficient with the interconnection with the Chibata sub-station which draws its power from the Cahora Bassa dam on the Zambezi.

The modernisation was important in order to prolong the life of the two power stations, which were in danger of shutting down entirely due to the obsolescence of their components. Because the original parts no longer exist on the international market, the consortium had to design and make new parts. EDM claims that the work has given Chicamba and Mavuzi an additional 30 years of useful life.

The work also allows the stations to generate almost 20 megawatts more than they could prior to the rehabilitation. Thus the maximum generating capacity at Chicamba has risen from 38 to 44 megawatts, and that at Mavuzi has risen from 30 to 41 megawatts.

AIM

posted from Bloggeroid

Swedish support for safe abortion

The Swedish government and the international NGO Ipas, which works around the globe to support the sexual and reproductive rights of women, are now collaborating to ensure the access of Mozambican women and girls to safe abortion and contraception services.
According to a press release from the Swedish embassy, this programme began last December and will run until December 2019. Sweden is contributing about US$5 million to the programme.
It is intended to increase the knowledge, opportunities and capacities of women and girls to take informed and safe decisions about abortion and contraception.
In Mozambique, Ipas works with the Ministry of Health and is a member of the Ministry’s Technical Group on Abortion, which is developing norms and directives for the provision of comprehensive abortion services.
Abortion was decriminalised under the new Penal Code, approved by the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, in 2014.
The Ministry of Health estimates that about 11 per cent of all maternal mortality in Mozambique is due to unsafe, clandestine abortions.
The Swedish release notes that currently, safe abortion services are only available in the urban areas of southern Mozambique. So the programme supported by Sweden will focus on the northern province of Nampula, and on Zambezia in the centre of the county, where there is little or no abortion service. Between them, these two provinces account for about 40 per cent of the Mozambican population. But they have some of the worst sexual and reproductive health indicators in the country.
Sexual and reproductive rights “are fundamental human rights for attaining gender equality, poverty reduction and sustainable development”, declared Swedish ambassador Irina Schoulgin Nyoni. “This support is a fundamental part of Sweden’s feminist foreign policy”.

Source: AIM

posted from Bloggeroid

Top official denounces prison overcrowding

Serious overcrowding in Mozambican prisons hinders the rehabilitation of prisoners, damages their dignity, and imposes extra costs on the State, denounced the President of the Supreme Court, Adelino Muchanga, on 1 March.
Speaking at the ceremony opening the 2017 judicial year, Muchanga pointed out that total capacity in Mozambican jails was for 8,188 prisoners, but they are now holding over 18,000 people – more than twice the installed capacity.
He blamed the overcrowding on excessive use of preventive detention, the slowness in bringing prisoners to trial, and the use of imprisonment, rather than alternative forms of punishment, for petty offences.
In 2016, Muchanga said, 35 per cent of those in the country’s jails had not been tried but were in preventive detention. Many of them had not even been charged, and of those facing charges many could be released on bail and told to await their trials at home.
In addition, there has been a substantial increase in the number of habeas corpus requests reaching the Supreme Court. “We receive 15 habeas corpus requests in 2015, and the number rose to 61 in 2016, almost all of them based on the fact that the limits on preventive detention had been exceeded”, he continued.
Most detainees cannot afford a lawyer, and know nothing about the habeas corpus rules: if they did, the number of requests would certainly be much larger.
Attorney-General Beatriz Buchili also denounced prison conditions, noting that the number of people now incarcerated was higher than it had been for the last three years. She agreed with Muchanga that the situation could be minimised by reducing the number of illegal detentions, speeding up judicial procedures, and using alternative punishments (such as community service) instead of imprisonment.
Buchili hoped that a new Penal Procedural Code and a Code on Alternatives to Prison, now under consideration by the country’s parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, will significantly improve prison conditions.
She also denounced the “countless reports” of inhuman treatment of detainees in prisons and police cells. A major challenge for the bodies of the administration of justice, she said, was to eliminate these situations, since “people who are incarcerated, although they have committed offences, are still human beings and deserve full respect and dignity”.

Source: AIM

posted from Bloggeroid

Unions suggest two wage rises in 2017

Mozambique’s main trade union federation, the OTM (Mozambican Workers’ Organisation) has suggested that, if the country’s current financial situation prevails, then the minimum wage should be increased twice this year.
OTM General Secretary Alexandre Munguambe made this call public on 3 March, during a meeting of the Labour Consultative Commission (CCT), the tripartite negotiating forum between the government, the unions, and the employers’ organisations.
The standard practice has been for the CCT to agree on a set of minimum wages by sector, which the government then puts into law. The new wages take effect as from 1 April each year. But the OTM is now suggesting that in times of high inflation, wages should be adjusted more frequently.
“We recall that in the past when annual inflation reached two digits, the minimum wage was increased twice a year”, said Munguambe. “If the current situation continues, there is every reason to return to this practice”.
In 2016, inflation rose, largely because of the depreciation of the Mozambican currency, the metical. According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), based on the consumer price indices of the three largest cities (Maputo, Nampula and Beira), inflation for the year reached 25.27 per cent.
Munguambe stressed that workers’ living standards had tumbled. “2016 was characterised by politico-military instability, natural disasters, a financial crisis, depreciation of the metical and unsustainable foreign debts”, he said. “These factors raised the cost of living to unbearable levels, and worsened the poverty of the majority of Mozambicans”.
Labour Minister Vitoria Diogo, who chairs the CCT, gave a much rosier picture, claiming that 277,647 jobs were created in 2016. In addition, 106,749 citizens, mostly young, had attended professional training courses, thus increasing their chances of obtaining good jobs.

Source: AIM

posted from Bloggeroid

ENI selling stake in Rovuma Basin

The Italian energy company ENI has said it is “within weeks” of finalising a deal worth billions of dollars to sell a stake in its operations in the Rovuma Basin, off the coast of northern Mozambique, according to a report in the “Financial Times”.
ENI chief executive Claudio Descalzi told the paper that the transaction was “very close” but declined to comment on the identity of the buyer.
However, it is no secret that ENI has been in lengthy negotiations with the US company ExxonMobil, and last October the chairperson of Mozambique’s National Hydrocarbon Company (ENH), Omar Mitha, told the Maputo daily “Noticias” that ExxonMobil would become a partner of ENI in offshore area four of the Rovuma Basin.
Massimo Bonisoli, an analyst at the debt recovery company Equita, cited by the “Financial Times” estimated the sale of a 20 per cent stake in Area 4 could raise US$1.79 billion for ENI, with the potential for this to rise to as much as US$2.63 billion should the Italian group eventually hand over operational control to the buyer. This is of enormous interest to Mozambique, because of the huge amount of capital gains tax that would be paid on such a transaction.
ENI controls a 50 per cent indirect interest in Offshore Area Four owned through ENI-East Africa, which holds 70 per cent of the concession. The other 20 per cent held via ENI-East Africa belongs to the Chinese company CNPC. The other three partners, with ten per cent each, are Galp Energia of Portugal, Kogas, and Mozambique’s National Hydrocarbon Company (ENH).
Plans are advanced to set up a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility in Area Four above the Coral South gas field. So far, the consortium has invested about US$2.8 billion in Area Four, and it is estimated that the FLNG project will cost a further eight billion dollars.
Production of LNG is due to begin in 2022. However, the Final Investment Decision cannot take place until CNPC formerly commits itself to the investment (all the other partners have now approved their share of the investment).
An agreement has already been reached under which all the gas produced from the FLNG plant will be sold to the British company BP over a twenty year period.
The total gas discovered in Area Four is 85 trillion cubic feet. Neighbouring Area One, where the US company Anadarko is the operator, holds an estimated 75 trillion cubic feet of gas. Anadarko is planning to build an onshore LNG facility to produce 12 million tonnes of LNG a year. Later it hopes to raise production to 20 million tonnes a year. However, Anadarko is at least a year behind ENI in the race to deliver LNG to the market.

Source: AIM

posted from Bloggeroid

Three children drown in Beira floods

Three children have drowned in floods caused by torrential rains in the central city of Beira. 

The rain began on 26 February, coinciding with high tides, and swamped many low-lying areas. One of the child victims was a seven-month-old baby who drowned in his sleep. 

His parents, also asleep, did not realise that the flood waters had invaded their house.

A four-year-old boy died while he was playing in the muddy water. He is believed to have fallen into a hole and drowned. The third victim, a 12-year-old boy, drowned in a ditch as he was trying to make his way to school.

Homes were inundated in outlying neighbourhoods such as Munhava, Macarungo, Manga, Chota, Muchatazina and Vaz.

Speaking to reporters, the mayor of Beira, Daviz Simango, recalled that Beira has special characteristics that make it prone to flooding. Part of the city is below sea level, and the water table is very high. 

This made it crucial to maintain the city’s drainage system, and Simango reported that the new floodgates installed at the Chiveve River, inaugurated in January, performed well, as did the older floodgates in the Palmeiras neighbourhood.

Source AIM 

Five drown as Mussapa bursts its banks

Five people died and five others are missing, when they vehicle they were travelling in was swept away by the waters of the Mussapa River, in Sussundenga district, in the central province of Manica.
The tragedy happened on 27 February when the waters of the Mussapa burst their banks. The victims were travelling in a vehicle belonging to the Chimanimani National Reserve, which is an important conservation area in Manica. There were 21 people on board, 11 of whom survived. Five bodies were recovered and the other five are still missing: they are three workers of the Chimanimani reserve and two members of a local community.

posted from Bloggeroid

Two children die in Limpopo flood

Two children have died in the flooding in the Limpopo Valley, in the southern province of Gaza. The children lost their lives on 4 March when, along with seven adults, they were crossing the Limpopo River in a rowing boat, attempting to reach Chibuto district. According to district administrator Brigida Matavele, the boat overturned, and the two children drowned. All the adults were rescued.

The river inundated parts of Chokwe, Guija and Chibuto districts, although it did not reach the predicted height of 8.3 metres. This would have been 3.3 metres above flood alert level, and enough for the river to have swept over the top of the dyke built to protect Chokwe town. The maximum reported height of the Limpopo at Chokwe was 7.5 metres.

In Chokwe, 1,366 hectares of crops were flooded and 600 regarded as lost. In Guija, 906 hectares are flooded, and in Chibuto more than 300 hectares are said to be lost.

Visiting the Limpopo Valley at the weekend, Joao Machatine, the general director of the Mozambican relief agency, the National Disaster Management Institute (INGC), said that, when the waters retreat, it is crucial to take advantage of the humidity and replant.

“We shall work with our partners to reduce food aid and acquire seeds”, said Machatine. Chokwe needs 22 tonnes of seeds, Guija 40 tonnes and Chibuto 10 tonnes. Two-thirds of these requirements are for maize seeds and the rest for beans.

Source: AIM

posted from Bloggeroid

Dhlakama extends Renamo truce for two months

Dhlakama extends Renamo truce for two months
Afonso Dhlakama, leader of the opposition party Renamo, on 3 March announced a further two-month extension of the truce his forces have been observing since late December. Speaking from a Renamo base in the central district of Gorongosa, Dhlakama declared “as from zero hours tomorrow, 4 March, a new truce takes effect, lasting until 4 May”.
Initially, the truce was only for a week, beginning on 27 December. Dhlakama announced the truce after phone conversations with President Filipe Nyusi. In early January the truce was extended by a further two months, to 4 March.

Dhlakama confirmed that he remains in regular phone contact with President Nyusi, and guaranteed that the peace talks “are on a good path”. He also announced that a new figure “of recognised merit” internationally will join the “contact group” announced by President Nyusi on 1 March. Dhlakama did not announce the name of this figure.
The “contact group” consists of seven ambassadors resident in Maputo, and its co-chairs are Swiss ambassador Mirko Manzani and US ambassador Dean Pittman. The statement from President Nyusi’s office announcing the creation of the contact group said it “will provide coordinated financial and technical assistance, and carry out other tasks as indicated in their terms of reference”.
This assistance is to the two working groups that President Nysui and Dhlakama have set up, one dealing with decentralisation and the other on military questions.

President Nyusi announced that he and Dhlakama had agreed that the two groups can begin working “because the Mozambican people are in a hurry to live definitively in peace”.

Source: AIM

posted from Bloggeroid

Education session on the right to information

Education session on the right to information

Tomás Vieira Mário's criticism stems from the fact that public servants, in his opinion, are the first to break the laws.

At the event held at the Eduardo Mondlane University's School of Communication and Arts in Maputo, Tomás Vieira Mário was the Executive Director of the Sekekekani Center for Communication Studies and Research.

At that institution, Viera Mário interacted with students about the Right to Information Law.

posted from Bloggeroid

Food aid in Mozambique this month

posted from Bloggeroid

Reopened 30 schools closed due to military- political tension in Morrumbala

books for the 1st and 2nd class not yet reached the schools

Schools that had been closed due to the political-military tension were reopened in the district of Morrumbala, Zambézia. In all, are 30 schools that, thanks to military truce are working normally.
According to the administrator of that district, Peter Sapange, classes continue at good pace, despite the students of the 1st and 2nd class not yet having books.

All schools are running, to us this is very beneficial. We were able to freely distribute books for the 3rd and 4th classes. Those of the 1st and 2nd classes have not yet been received. We hope to receive them during the month of March or April", said the administrator of Morrumbala.

In the country, the school year began January 20, but some schools closed due to the political and military tension now return to normal.

posted from Bloggeroid

Party cleavages - one of the factors of voter abstention in the country

IESE study reveals that the difficulties of access to basic services and resources feed the sense of exclusion .

A study released Wednesday by the Institute of Social and Economic Studies (IESE) points to political-party cleavages as one of the factors that contributes to the High levels of voter abstention in the country.

The studies, published in the form of reports and entitled "Beira - party cleavages" and "Electoral abstainers", are analyzed by the researchers and academics Salvador Forquilha and Luís de Brito, "analyze the dynamics of electoral abstention in Beira starting from two Important factors "such as political-party cleavages and voter perceptions regarding relations with the state (municipal / district authorities), crystallized in access to basic services and resources, particularly the fund for the reduction of urban poverty ".

According to a summary, contained in a press release sent to us, the conclusion is that "political-party cleavages, crystallized in conflicts between the main political parties, namely Frelimo, Renamo and MDM, and the difficulties Access to basic services and resources are important factors affecting voter turnout. "

The reports argue that "on the one hand, party-political cleavages influence electoral operations, particularly the census and voting processes, and, on the other hand, difficulties in accessing basic services and resources fuel the sense of exclusion, Which informs the voters' attitude towards politics and voting",
The profile of the abstentionist In this report the profile of the abstentionists is presented and the author concludes that in demographic terms, abstention concerns, in particular, women and mainly affects the younger citizens. From a sociological point of view, those who abstain most are the less educated and occupationally situated on the margins of the formal economy, with emphasis on informal workers and the unemployed, followed by peasants and farmers. In line with these factors, it was observed that the worse the living conditions of the families, the greater the tendency to abstain.

posted from Bloggeroid

Nampula-Cholera deaths out of hospital

Number of cases shows a downward trend in recent days

The Health Department in Nampula admits the possibility of extrahospital deaths, especially in communities far from administrative posts in Netia, Mecuco, Monapo district and Namialo , In Meconta district, where a cholera outbreak has been reported.

The provincial chief health officer in Nampula, Suleimane Isidoro, explains that cholera was confirmed in February, with a worsening on days 14 and 15, when an average of 23 and 29 were admitted admitted to the cholera treatment centers (CTC) ) suffering from that disease.

Initially, the populations believed that they were simple cases of diarrheal diseases. But later, the diagnoses would confirm that it was cholera. "We decided to do searches in the neighborhoods, because the community said, someone died of diarrhoea in this and in that house. As a consequence, we have increased the number of cases of cholera, which suggests that they should be those cases that were in the neighborhoods that, unfortunately, were not taken to the health units, "said Isidoro. He explained that, therefore, it is not possible to rule out the possibility of deaths outside hospitals. He said that, fortunately, there is no record of fatalities in health units. The source reveals that, overall, the number of cases shows a decreasing trend over the last few days. According to the records, up to this moment 13 people are hospitalized, 12 in Netia and one in the Namialo health center. Health is already mobilizing communities on the importance of personal and collective hygiene, water treatment for consumption using cleansing products such as "Certeza" and "Chlorine", which are being distributed free of charge in the health units. "There is a certain relationship of cases of cholera with the conditions of life that the populations are having, mainly, as far as the water supply is concerned."

posted from Bloggeroid

Teacher assaults nurse in Chimoio

A teacher has been detained accused of having beaten a nurse, allegedly because he has been slow to attend to his son.

The case occurred last night at the Provincial Hospital of Chimoio. Ilager Ernesto, the nurse, suffered a stroke in the middle of the day. "I went away to fetch the gloves so I could take care of the sick. Suddenly, the patient's father hit me. I did not react, I was surprised by the attitude", explained the nurse.

The assailant says that he opted for violence in total despair because the nurse was slow in attending. "I asked him to come and see me, and the nurse started to laugh at me, taking a long time without answering me. I approached him, took his arm away. I beat him in response to the aggression he had started, "said the accused, Carlos Aníbal Alfredo. One of the nurses in service at the time, Isaura Geraldo, confirms the beating scene at the Chimoio provincial hospital, involving her colleague and the teacher. "We heard a noise. First we thought he was one of the mentally ill who usually go to the hospital. I went there and found that my colleague was being beaten. The teacher's son was already being treated when I came to the rescue of my colleague, "said the nurse. The case went to the police and the teacher can not carry out his duties, because he is detained. This is the second case of beating nurses at the Provincial Hospital of Chimoio, in less than a month for alleged poor care.

posted from Bloggeroid

Mozambique to export Avocado pears to

The province of Manica will export avocado pear produced in Mozambique to the international market, with emphasis on France, said Westfalia consultant Manuel Roriz, quoted by the Mozambican Information Agency.

The first 400-ton batch may leave the country bound for France by the end of next month. Westfalia is an agricultural company operating in the province of Manica two years ago, occupying an area of ​​about 250 hectares.

Roriz, who announced the fact during the visit of the governor of the province of Manica, Alberto Mondlane, explained that, for this purpose, Westfalia invested in the first phase around 480 thousand dollars. The plan, according to the source, is to sell the fruit to other European countries, and for that, work is underway to obtain the certificate of export to other countries, including Africans. "The first exit is scheduled for the end of March. We are processing the fruit. We are also waiting for a visit from South Africa to inspect the fruit. Then we will open to the South African market. We intend to increase production areas. We will open new fields in other areas of Manica. Our record will be in 2021, when we expect to export seven thousand tons, "Roriz said.
The governor of the province of Manica expressed his satisfaction with the project, stating that the company, although new, is working for its growth. "We have seen that even though the company is starting, everything is done for its growth. It is a firm that gives us much hope of growth. It is time for Mozambique to appear on the map of producer and exporter of fruit, "said the governor.

posted from Bloggeroid

Cholera outbreak in the wake of cyclone Dineo

Along with the havoc wreaked by tropical storm Dineo, Mozambique has also been hit by a cholera epidemic, with 216 confirmed cases of the diarrhoeal disease and one death in three cities, radio station VOA Portugues reported on Thursday.
The capital Maputo, currently experiencing water shortages and rationing, is one of the affected cities. The others are Matola, which lies to the south of Maputo and Nampula in northern Mozambique. the radio said, quoting the deputy national director of public health.
Dineo has brought destruction to coastal areas of the southern African country. There are now reports of seven deaths.
Cholera's spread is facilitated by heavy rains. This is also the case with typhoid, which has been reported in neighbouring Zimbabwe in recent weeks.

News24

posted from Bloggeroid

Mozambique: 'This Will Not Be the End', Moz Lodge Owners Vow to Rebuild After Dineo

Thatched roofs ripped off exotic beachside shelters. Asbestos sheets flung to the sand. A diving school that caters for the blind largely reduced to rubble.

Mozambican lodge owners are trying to put a brave face on the devastation wreaked by tropical storm Dineo - but the road to rebuilding these dream holiday destinations is going to be long.

"This is absolutely heart wrenching to see! This will definitely not be the end!" said Paindane Resort in Inhambane on Facebook, next to photos of a splintered roof and a rolled up beach mat lying in the debris. "This is a new beginning for Paindane!"

Supporters launched a GoFundMe page for Guinjata Dive Centre in Inhambane after owner Lynn Retief posted grim pictures of the rubble her structure had been reduced to and the words: "Our dive center is no more." The centre offers scuba diving to people with disabilities.

"We hope to get things fixed and running soon," said the owners of Zavora Lodge Mozambique and Zavora Divers, next to pictures of its own badly-damaged chalets. Zavora is also in Inhambane.
Photos showed the nearby - and beautiful - Wagaya Barra Resort had been torn in two.

Some Mozambicans are recalling Cyclone Favio, which struck the centre and south of this southern African country in 2007, causing widespread flooding, flattening homes and displacing an estimated 140 000.
Source: News24

posted from Bloggeroid

Mozambique: Eight Million Dollars Needed to Repair Cyclone Damage

Maputo — Mozambican Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario is making a two day working visit to the southern province of Inhambane to assess the damage done by cyclone Dineo which hit the province on Wednesday and Thursday last week.
Data from provincial governor Daniel Chapo indicates that the death toll from the cyclone stands at seven, while 51 others suffered injuries. 152,000 people were affected by the storm, particularly in the coastal districts.
Many of those temporarily displaced have now returned to their homes. But about 800 people are still accommodated in a centre opened on the premises of the Pedagogic University, where they are benefitting from assistance provided by the country's relief agency, the National Disasters Management Institute.
According to Chapo, the province needs at least 550 million meticais (about eight million US dollars) to repair the most seriously affected education and health facilities. To raise these funds, the provincial government will rely on its own resources, those of local civil society organisations, and those of development partners, including Ireland and UNICEF.
The cyclone disrupted electricity and water supplies and communications, which are being gradually re-established. But the ferry service between the cities of Inhambane and Maxixe remains interrupted. The cyclone destroyed the jetty on the Maxixe side.
Without the ferry, people who live in one of the two cities but work or study in the other cannot cross the narrow finger of sea that separates them. A provisional jetty has been installed, and Chapo said the government is working to re-establish the full ferry service in the coming week.
According to INGC General Director Joao Machatine, the 550 million meticais mentioned by the governor is only the start of what will be needed to restore life in the province to normal. “The damage in Inhambane is dramatic, and requires that funds be made available urgently”, he said.
Machatine said that, in the more severely affected districts, the cyclone had blown the roofs off 70 per cent of the schools, but because teaching must resume as quickly as possible, interventions short of full repairs are urgently needed so that classes can restart.
He added that difficulties in reaching some of the areas struck by Dineo means that a complete picture of the damage is not yet available.

Source: Aim

posted from Bloggeroid

Inhambane gastronomia postcard

The coconut trees fill the landscape of Inhambane and Tofo Beach, lending the horizon a ragged look. In them lies the livelihood of many residents in that area, and every part is useful. For example, one of the region's specialities is sura (palm sap, consumed in the form of buns, toasts or biscuits. When fermented, it makes for a traditional drink sold throughout the region and beyond.
Sura is the drink that comes out of a gash in a coconut tree branch. It has a strong, sweet taste, and it is naturally carbonated, with few resemblances to coconut water.
Filipe Agosto climbs the coconut tree like it was nothing, placing his feet in the right place, arms pulling the body up. Up there, he undoes the knot holding a plastic bottle to the branch, removes the of paper covering the orifice of the bottle and changes it for an empty one.
He makes this climb in the morning, and in the afternoon to take the sura coming out of the branches of the thirteen palm trees he has set up for the collection of the sap.
A branch takes at least three months to start realising sap.

Filipe Agosto already knows how to pick them.
He has been doing this job for three years, taught by his father.
At first, he even fell. But today he is no longer afraid to go up, and does it like he is walking on solid ground.

This is not Filipe's only job, but it is the one that gives him money everyday, since his wage comes only at the end of the month.
So, in the morning, Filipe sells be his sweet sura to the mamanas ( an informal term for an older family woman, a mother) baking buns. And in the afternoon, he sells the already fermented version to men who pass by his house, looking to relax after work.
INDICO, IN-FLIGHT MAGAZINE

Ministry of Public Works discusses solutions for water shortage in Maputo

At the meeting, proposals for short-, medium- and long-term solutions were analyzed

A week after the President of the Republic stated that the main cause of the water crisis in Maputo was the lack of planning, the Ministry of Public Works, Water Resources and Housing invited former ministers and presidents of the municipalities of Maputo, Matola and Boane to the most viable solutions to the problem.
The National Director of Water Resources, Messias Macie, says that the ministry has always been attentive to the evolution of water needs in the Maputo region, but complains that the lack of money has delayed several projects.
Contrary to the meeting led by the Head of State, in the Ministry of Public Works, Minister Carlos Bonete decided to close the doors to the press.

Five primary schools closed last year due to political-military tension have reopened

Reopening decision was motivated by the truce in force

The information was advanced by Arlindo Ngozo, Director of the District Service of Education, Youth and Technology of Gondola, in Manica, in the margins of a meeting that took place with cadres of the education sector in that district.
In that context, the Gondola administrator asked the teachers to convey to students the message of peace restoration that has been threatened in recent years due to military clashes.
Due to the political-military tension, 68 schools in the districts of Bárue, Mossurize, Gondola, Macossa, Manica and Tambara were forced to close their doors during the past year.

Mozambique to start using tobacco tax stamps

Measure arise in compliance with the protocol of the World Health Organization

As of March 17, the Tax Authority will now prohibit the circulation of unsealed cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos. Two months later, the mandatory use of stamps will be imposed on alcoholic beverages. The measures are part of the framework convention on tobacco control that Mozambique ratified last year.

To ensure the efficiency of the process, the Tax Authority and the Mozambican Association of Public Health were gathered today to discuss implementation strategies.

Mozambique is a signatory to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control established in 2004.

Cyclone Dineo over

Calamity left seven dead


Cyclone DINEO, which has hit the south of the country, mainly Inhambane province, where seven people died and another 130,000 were affected, is no longer in the country.
According to the National Meteorological Institute (INAM), bad weather is currently directed at neighboring countries, particularly South Africa and Swaziland.

Although the cyclone is no longer in the country, its effects will be felt throughout the national territory through moderate rains and strong winds, according to Jaqueline Sendela, from INAM.

After Dineo the meteorology department predicts a rainy weekend in all the national territory. The cyclone has rocked the country since Wednesday, leaving a trail of destruction at several points.
Beginning on Sunday, the Prime Minister, Carlos Agostinho do Rosário, scaled the province of Inhambane to monitor the situation.

Lynching in Beira

Residents of the Manga district distance themselves from the act

A body was abandoned on one of the streets of the Manga neighborhood, in the city of Beira, and with signs of lynching.
Residents of the neighborhood are distancing themselves from any involvement and say the case may have occurred at another location over the course of the night.
The cases of lynching in the city of Beira are frequent.

Cyclone Dineo causes destruction in Inhambane

about 120 children are homeless
[image_ Tropical cyclone dineo is already affecting the Mozambique channel and causing great destruction in the province of Inhambane. In the SOS village , an institution that welcomes orphaned children, the high winds have laid down the water system supply, depriving children of the liquid.The cyclone destroyed still the ceiling of 16 classrooms and administrative block endangering destruction the material and wallets.
Eleven houses were without ceiling, leaving about 120 children homeless. In the area of Tofo Beach, several trees were toppled, houses and schools were without ceilings. Some ways were discontinued and there was electricity cut off

Mozambique and the United States strengthen ties

Mozambique and the United States of America seek mechanisms to strengthen the environment conducive to the expansion of trade in goods and services, as well as the promotion of US investments in the country.

The Deputy United States Trade Representative for Africa, Florizelle Liser, is in
the country to strengthen cooperation ties in the fields of trade and investment.

posted from Bloggeroid

Mozambique and Brazil Sign memorandum of intentions

Mozambique and Brazil signed memorandum of intentions to intensify cooperation in the area of ​​technical and vocational education.

To this end, a Brazilian multisectoral delegation is in the country to identify the areas of intervention with the counterparts of Mozambican institutions
.

posted from Bloggeroid

Unknown individuals assault a pregnant woman

Unknown persons robbed diverse assets, physically attacked and then raped a woman who is in the third month of pregnancy, in the district of Montepuez, province of Cabo Delgado.

Interned at the Rural Hospital of Montepuez, the victim is still awaiting results of medical tests that will determine the repercussions of that macabre act on the fetus.

posted from Bloggeroid

Nine million people benefited from water and sanitation programs in rural areas

PRONASAR 2010 - 2016


The rural water supply and sanitation program, PRONASAR benefited about nine million people, since its launch, 2010.

The same resulted in the improvement of sanitation and hygiene in rural communities, announced yesterday, the Minister of public works, housing and water resources .

Carlos Bonete said that, during the six years, were built more than 11 thousand sources to 30 water systems in the country, a job that had the involvement of communities in both the identification of appropriate solutions as in the maintenance of infrastructure erected.

"We are the following the correct approaches ,though we need some updates and eventually some corrections off", stressed the Minister, speaking at the opening of the seminar on the National program for rural water supply and sanitation (PRONASAR) 2017-2030.

However, Carlos Bonete noted that Mozambique has not fulfilled in its entirety the goal for water supply and rural sanitation of the objectives of the Millennium development program, it needs accelerated effort and coordination, especially with the support of cooperation partners.

In fact, ambassador of Japan in Mozambique recognized that, despite the improvements, there is still more room for enlargement, over the next decade, access to water and sanitation, especially in rural areas.

The goal of the government is to achieve the goal of sustainable development objectives 2015-2030 (ODS) of establishing 100 percent coverage in access to water and sanitation .

In the area of water and sanitation, Japan implemented through the Japanese agency of international cooperation (JICA), seven cooperation projects to 17 community projects as a way to improve the conditions of life in communities.

posted from Bloggeroid

Over 1,300 leprosy cases diagnosed last year

Over 1,300 leprosy cases diagnosed last year

Although leprosy was declared as no longer constituting a public health problem in Mozambique in 2008, pockets of the disease continue to occur, and last year 1,364 new cases were diagnosed.

Speaking at a meeting in Maputo on 27 January to mark World Leprosy Day, the National Director of Public Health, Francisco Mbofana, said that 415 of the new cases were among children.

 In 585 cases the victims were already suffering from deformities caused by the disease.

Mbofana expressed concern that the number of cases of leprosy among children meant that the disease remained active in communities but undiagnosed and untreated.

In 2008, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared leprosy defeated in Mozambique. This did not mean that every last case had been eliminated, but that the disease was no longer a public health concern.

However pockets of the disease still exist, and may even be on the rise. Between 2015 and 2016 the number of districts recording more than one case per 10,000 inhabitants rose from 23 to 34, particularly in the central and northern provinces.

Nonetheless, there have been significant advances. Up until 2000, Mozambique was one of the six countries in the world most affected by leprosy (the others were Brazil, India, Madagascar, Tanzania and Nepal). These six countries accounted for 90 per cent of leprosy cases.

But, by 2008 the fight against the disease had succeeded in bringing the prevalence of the disease down to less than one in 10,000 inhabitants, the level at which the WHO considers the disease no longer a public health problem.
Diagnosis is simple, and anyone with a clear, painless patch on his or her skin should go to the nearest health unit where an examination will check whether it is leprosy. 

Treatment is free of charge and takes between six and 12 months on an out-patient basis. Patients will only require hospitalisation if they have left diagnosis late and are suffering from complications such as mutilations to fingers and toes.
SOURCE: AIM 

Bad weather plagues Inhambane

Torrential rains accompanied by strong winds
Overturned power poles, bumpy roads and damaged infrastructure. This is the situation in the province of Inhambane, as a consequence of intense rains accompanied by strong winds.
Even without official data on the weather, it is predicted that the damage will be enormous.
On roads, besides craters, it is possible to see chopped coconut trees making it difficult for pedestrians to pass in some places.

Traders revolt against municipal decisions in Beira

Municipality of Beira destroys tents built along public roads

Dozens of people who make food on the roadsides and on the sidewalks of the Maquinino neighborhood in the city of Beira are angry with the local council. They local council is alleged of having destroyed tents and confiscated all the material that the merchants use to prepare food as well as the food itself.

It all started with the decision of the Municipality to remove from the public places stalls that make urban processes unfeasible. In order to avoid that the residents resume their activities in these places, the Municipality positioned the municipal police in the neighborhood of Maquinino, fact that displeased still more the vendors.

The Municipal Council of Beira, through Joaquim Manuel, Director of Markets and Fairs, considers that citizens are being dishonest because they were warned to leave the site several months ago, because the institution intends to rehabilitate the public highway.

In addition, Joaquim Manuel said that at a meeting convened by the building to discuss the process, only two people attended and they received blocks where they are carrying out the activity.

The Municipality refutes the allegations that the town hall has broken into stores at night and has ensured that all street vendors will be removed from the rides

Companies awarded natural gas supply

The Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy has awarded large quantities of natural gas for projects in the domestic market to be undertaken by Yara International, Shell Mozambique BV and GL Energy Africa.
These three companies have been awarded a total of 462 million cubic feet a day of natural gas. They are the successful bidders from a tender launched on 26 August last year which brought in 14 bids.
Shell requested between 310 and 330 million cubic feet of gas a day to produce 38,000 barrels a day of liquid fuels (gas-to-liquid diesel, naphtha and kerosene), plus 50 to 80 megawatts of electricity.
The Norwegian company Yara International requested 80 to 90 million cubic feet a day to produce between 1.2 and 1.3 million tonnes of fertilizer a year. This project will generate between 50 and 80 megawatts of electricity.
The London-registered GL Energy Africa has a much larger electricity project. It requested 41.8 million cubic feet of gas a day to generate 250 megawatts of power.
Although the Ministry does not state specifically the origin of the gas, it will almost certainly come from the huge fields of natural gas, discovered in the Rovuma Basin off the coast of the northern province of Cabo Delgado. The fields in areas one and four of the Rovuma Basin, operated by the US company Anadarko and ENI of Italy, respectively, are known to hold at least 160 trillion cubic feet of gas between them.
SOURCE: AIM

posted from Bloggeroid

Gaza,the breadbasket of Moza

Gaza is a province of Mozambique.

 It has an area of 75,709 km2 and a population of 1,333,106 (2006). 

Xai-Xai is the capital of the province.

 Inhambane Province is to the east, Manica Province to the north, Maputo Province to the south, South Africa to the west, and Zimbabwe to the northwest. 

Geography 

Most of the district lies in the basin of the Limpopo River, which runs from northwest to southeast through the district, emptying into the Indian Ocean near Xai-Xai. 

The Changane River, a tributary of the Limpopo, forms part of the province's eastern boundary. 

The Rio dos Elefantes (Olifants River) flows into the district from the west through the Massingir Dam, to empty into the Limpopo. 

The Save River forms the northern boundary of the province. 

The Limpopo railway, which connects Zimbabwe and Botswana to the port of Maputo, runs through the province, entering Zimbabwe at the border town of Chicualacuala. 

The province, including the towns of Xai-Xai and Chokwe, were greatly affected by the 2000 Mozambique flood. Limpopo National Park lies within the province, bounded by the Elefantes and Limpopo rivers and the South African border. 

Banhine National Park lies in the east-central portion of the province.

 The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park and its associated conservation area, which is in the process of being formed, will cover the northern part of the province, including both national parks, and extend into adjacent parts of Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Administration 

The province was created on October 20, 1954.Gaza is made up of Bilene ,Macia ,Chibuto,Chicualacuala,Chigubo, Chókwè ,Guijá ,Mabalane,Manjacaze,Massagena ,Massingir and Xai-Xai andd the municipalities of: Chibuto ,Chókwè Macia,Manjacaze and Xai-Xai

CTA asks greatest alignment and cooperation between governmental reforms and the Bank of Mozambique

The Confederation of economic associations of Mozambique (CTA) considers that measures taken, Monday, by the Bank of Mozambique are not sufficient to economic recovery, though recognize that return some confidence to the market. for example, limiting the​ annual use of Bank cards outside the country, set at 700 thousand meticais per person, is seen by the CTA as a good sign but considers that it takes largest alignment between the reform of the Bank of Mozambique and the government. "the Central Bank feel that the market is to respond in relation to your measurements, although not enough. If the adjustments were chain and coordinated in some ways, speak of fiscal policy, where the expense had reduced as should have been probably the magnitude of the adjustment on the side monetary might be less and then the cost to the private sector also could be lower," said the deputy executive director of CTA, Eduardo Sengo. The private sector expects the decisions serve to relieve interest rates, aggravated by the Bank of Mozambique during the peak of economic instability. The deputy executive director of CTA understands that even though the new interest rates to be introduced in April, is some good news that will discipline the banks,it is this new Exchange rate only that CTA considers will create situation of largest predictability in the market, but alert for the difficulty of implementation and daily updating of this instrument.

posted from Bloggeroid

CTA asks greatest alignment and cooperation between governmental reforms and the Bank of Mozambique

The Confederation of economic associations of Mozambique (CTA) considers that measures taken, Monday, by the Bank of Mozambique are not sufficient to economic recovery, though recognize that return some confidence to the market. for example, limiting the​ annual use of Bank cards outside the country, set at 700 thousand meticais per person, is seen by the CTA as a good sign but considers that it takes largest alignment between the reform of the Bank of Mozambique and the government. "the Central Bank feel that the market is to respond in relation to your measurements, although not enough. If the adjustments were chain and coordinated in some ways, speak of fiscal policy, where the expense had reduced as should have been probably the magnitude of the adjustment on the side monetary might be less and then the cost to the private sector also could be lower," said the deputy executive director of CTA, Eduardo Sengo. The private sector expects the decisions serve to relieve interest rates, aggravated by the Bank of Mozambique during the peak of economic instability. The deputy executive director of CTA understands that even though the new interest rates to be introduced in April, is some good news that will discipline the banks,it is this new Exchange rate only that CTA considers will create situation of largest predictability in the market, but alert for the difficulty of implementation and daily updating of this instrument.

posted from Bloggeroid

Laboratory tests confirm that Frozy refrigerant is not harmful to health

The results of laboratory tests on samples of Frozy, a soft drink produced in Mozambique, show that the product does not contain any harmful ingredients, according to the director of the National Institute for Standardization and Quality (INNOQ), Alfredo Sitoe, in Maputo Monday .
According to Sitoe, the tests were carried out by the Ministry of Health, after the Malawian authorities decided to ban the commercialization of that soda in that neighboring country, for allegedly having a high content of citric acid.
In fact, the Mozambican government, after a Council of Ministers meeting held in November last year, guaranteed that the product was not harmful to health.
Examinations carried out at the time indicated that the product had a citric acid content of 0.1 to 0.5 mg / 100 ml. "The Ministry of Health did the laboratory tests and concluded that there was no problem with the product. As a way for the country to obtain the absolute assurance that, in fact, there are no problems, the sample was collected and sent to laboratory tests outside the country. "These tests also confirmed that the product was good," Sitoe said.
The director of INNOQ also said that the results were sent to Malawi, who also decided to send another team to Mozambique to collect samples of the product. "At the end of December, Malawi sent a technician who collected samples of 13 flavors. They went through the tests and they confirmed that the product is not harmful to health, "Sitoe said.
However, the Malawi Bureau of Standards required the company to affix a label in English or Chichewa (local language) in accordance with the laws of the country.
According to the source, the company Frozy promised to do the label until April 20 this year. "Unfortunately, we have never received any official response from the Malawi Bureau of Standards. We were waiting for an official response because the initial said that the product could enter Malawi by putting a label in English and indicating the distributor in English or Chichewa, "he said.
Frozy, according to Sitoe, says it has never exported the product to Malawi, so it believes that the product may have entered the country illegally.

posted from Bloggeroid

Renamo brigades promote awareness campaigns for the return of displaced persons

Several brigades linked to the Renamo party are involved in campaigns to raise awareness among the people of four districts in the central province of Zambézia, displaced due to military hostilities, to return to their areas of origin and resume their productive activities.
According to the Renamo political delegate in Zambézia, Abdala Ossifo, quoted by AIM, the sensitization targets the districts of Mopeia, Morrumbala, Dere and Gurúè.
Likewise, the Renamo political delegates in these same districts, who lived in hiding places, are returning to political work.
According to Ossifo, the return of Renamo district delegates to their activities is clear proof that the truce has come to stay.
President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, and Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama reached understandings that culminated in the suspension of hostilities for two months after a seven-day truce.
The present suspension of hostilities, which will last until 4 March this year, aims to create a favorable environment for "speeding up" the political dialogue, the aim of which is to achieve effective and lasting peace.
However, for a peaceful coexistence nationwide, Ossifo underlined the need for Mozambican society to "reform minds."
"From the top, we must begin to reform our minds. Because we are all brothers and we think that the truce benefits the entire Mozambican people. There are no military columns anymore and people travel from one point to another at will. This is good for all Mozambicans, because war does not solve anything, "said Ossifo.
The actions promoted in Zambézia are being replicated a little by all the provinces of the country that were the scene of acts of armed confrontation during the political-military tension, namely Sofala, Manica and Tete.
The first offensive was launched about two weeks ago in the province of Sofala at a meeting between a delegation of the largest opposition party and the government of that province. On the occasion, Renamo announced the resumption of political activities in all of the party's delegations at the Sofala level.
The Sofala government expressed its readiness to ensure that all political parties work safely, ensuring that "there is room for all"

posted from Bloggeroid

Road accident kills one in Sofala

Episode involved a passenger transport bus from Maningue Nice

One person died and another 10 were seriously injured following an accident this afternoon in the Nhamatanda district of Sofala province. The accident involved a passenger transport bus from Maningue Nice.
The accident occurred around 2 pm at the Muda administrative post, 75 km from Beira City. At the time, the bus that made the route Quelimane - Beira flipped in circumstances still to clarify.
In addition to the dead person and the 10 seriously injured, there are 35 slight injuries. The victims were evacuated to the Central Hospital of Beira and the Rural Hospital of Nhamatanda.
Police detained the bus driver for investigations.

posted from Bloggeroid

prices of goods and services rise 20% in the start of 2017

Cost of living

The cost of living in the country remains high, although it is registering a relative reduction in relation to the last months of last year. Data released by the National Statistics Institute (INE) indicate that the general price level (inflation) increased by 20.56% in January this year when compared to January 2016 (year-on-year inflation). This is a reduction of 3.11 percentage points (pp) compared to the same period last year, ie the price increase in December 2016 when compared to the December 2015 price increase.
The data refer to the behavior of prices in the three largest cities in the country, namely Maputo, Beira and Nampula, also known as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Mozambique and show that in monthly terms, that is, inflation in January compared to December, there was an increase of 2.15%, a deceleration of 0.39pp compared to a rise of 2.54% in December compared to November 2016.
According to the INE's newsletter, from the point of view of annual inflation, the price increases of the clothing and footwear divisions with 30.65% and food and non-alcoholic beverages with 29.95% had significant weight.
On a monthly basis, ie January inflation compared to December, there was a rise of 2.15%, a deceleration of 0.39pp compared to a rise of 2.54% in December compared to November 2016. Between December 2016 and January 2017, food and non-alcoholic beverages are again among the products whose prices increased the most with a contribution of 1.39pp.
Considering the increase in prices per product, the increase in prices of tomato (20.0%), coal (13.1%), coconut (17.6%), peanut (12.9%) , Horse mackerel (4.6%), and butter beans (7.8%). These products were responsible for about 0.97pp positive
Total monthly inflation.
INE also noted that the city of Beira registered the highest monthly inflation (2.97%), followed by Nampula with 2.92% and Maputo, with 1.46%. In year-on-year terms, the trend was similar: the city of Beira was the one that had the greatest worsening of the general price level with 24.20%. Nampula and Maputo registered price increases of 22.97% and 18.13%, respectively.
Last year was characterized by a historic price hike in the country, which significantly reduced the purchasing power of households and businesses. Inflation closed the year with an average of 19.85%, one of the highest in recent years. The cause was linked to the deterioration of almost all the macroeconomic indicators, mainly the depreciation of the metical against the US dollar and the rand of South Africa. One dollar saw a jump of 30 meticais to more than 80 meticais in a period of approximately one year, which significantly increased imports, in a scenario of deep domestic production deficit and consequent high import dependence.
For this year, the Central Bank establishes an inflation target in the order of 14%, well below the levels that occurred last year.

posted from Bloggeroid

Mozambique and China strengthen cooperation in parliamentary area

Veronica Macamo will hold a meeting with the chair of the Chinese People's Consultative Conference.

Parliamentary delegations from Mozambique and China will hold bilateral talks tomorrow on the current stage of cooperation between the two countries.
The talks are part of
an official visit by a team of Mozambican parliamentarians since yesterday to the People's Republic of China.
During the talks, the two parliaments could initiate a memorandum of understanding with a focus, inter alia, on organizing regular meetings between parliamentarians from both parliaments and exchanging experiences on matters of common interest.
Veronica Macamo will hold a meeting today with the chairman of the Chinese People's Consultative Conference, Yu Zhengsheng, according to a note from the parliamentary press, ahead of the bilateral talks.
The Mozambican delegation is led by the President of the

Assembly of the Republic, Verónica Macamo, and includes the deputy head of the Frelimo bench, Sérgio Pantie; The heads of Renamo's benches, Ivone Soares; And MDM, Luther Simango; In addition to the rapporteur of the Commission for International Relations, Cooperation and Communities, António Niquice.

posted from Bloggeroid

Gaza and Inhambane could be affected by heavy rains within three days

The tropical depression that will be felt within 72 hours, in the provinces of Gaza and Inhambane, will be characterized by heavy rainfall and may cause flooding.
The National Meteorological Institute also warned that the phenomenon could affect the province of Maputo, as of Friday, and the rains could have the intensity of 75 ml in 24 hours.
In view of this situation, the National Institute for Disaster Management (INGC) will activate all Local Risk Management Committees in order to alert the population to take precautions and provide assistance if necessary.
The tropical depression that will be felt in the country is similar to the climatic phenomenon named Dando, which affected the provinces of Gaza, Inhambane and neighboring South Africa in 2012, leading the Limpopo to overflow

posted from Bloggeroid

LAM opens Gaza airline ticket office

Agreement between LAM and the Mozambican Post Office
It is now possible to buy air tickets from the Mozambique Airlines (LAM) from Gaza province, with the opening of a sales unit in Xai-xai city yesterday. This is an old idea, which today is materialised through a partnership with Correios de Moçambique, whose focus is to cover several other points in the country. The ticket sales unit was inaugurated by Gaza's Gov. Stella Zeca.
The agreement that symbolised the partnership was initialed yesterday in Xai-Xai City between the representatives of the two companies, namely the Chairman of the Executive Committee (PCE) of LAM, António Pinto, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors (PCA) of the Correios de Moçambique, Valdemar Jessen.
In light of the agreement, the Mozambican Post will facilitate the sale of air tickets from the city of Xai-xai, capital of the province of Gaza, one of several points in the country where access to an airplane ticket required a trip to Maputo , Further increasing travel costs.
"We are certain that conditions are now in place for residents of Gaza province to purchase tickets at Xai-xai, going to Maputo just to make the flight and not to buy the ticket, return to Gaza and return to Maputo to do the Travel, "said LAM's PCE, while the PCA of the Correios de Moçambique assured its institution's commitment to guarantee a" work of excellence "in this area.
For the Governor of Gaza, the offer of LAM services is an important factor for the tourist attraction for the province, although an airport is not yet installed.
"With this store, it will be very easy to make our tourist and economic potential much more valued. But we know that LAM is directly or indirectly linked to airports, and an airport is still a great dream for us and we believe that what happened today indirectly reinforces our hope of having an airport here in Gaza.
The partnership between LAM and Correios de Moçambique is an initiative that seeks to cover all points in the country where it is not possible to purchase products and services from the national air carrier. Already in the coming weeks, more units like this will be opened in the Center and North.

posted from Bloggeroid