Heavy rains wreak havoc to Matola and Maputo

Several neighborhoods in the cities of Maputo and Matola are flooded, due to the torrential rain that has fallen since dawn today in these two urban centers.

It is a situation that affects thousands of families, some of which are hit by floods for the second time, due to the recent passage of severe tropical storm Filipo.

The technician from the National Directorate of Water Resources Management, Isac Filimone, says that the situation results from the high housing density, combined with the deficient drainage system in the cities of Maputo and Matola.

The technician from the National Directorate of Water Resources Management recommends taking precautionary measures due to strong water currents in drainage systems as well as rivers in the southern region of the country.

The technician from the National Institute of Meteorology says that the heavy rainfall recorded follows the passage of a cold frontal system that crosses the southern region of the country.

Forecasts, according to Telmo Sumila, point to more rain falling over the next 12 to 24 hours. 

Inam says that conditions in the country's south will improve starting on Tuesday. Over the past 24 hours, Maputo's city and province have seen about 150 millimetres of rain, which is a lot of rain for the soil in this area. Severe Tropical Storm Filipo recently passed through the country's centre and south, resulting in 20 fatalities. According to preliminary data, the storm also injured over 50,000 people.

In addition, 149 dwellings were totally demolished, 2700 partially damaged, and another 6800 homes were flooded as a result of the poor weather.

Along with impacting an area of 26,000 hectares of various crops, the storm also had an impact on 73 health facilities and 271 schools.

Rain brings suffering and devastation to Gaza's city of Xai-Xai.

Hundreds of families in Xai-Xai, Gaza, are without shelter due to flooding resulting from torrential downpours and severe thunderstorms since Saturday's late afternoon. However, several access roads are inaccessible due to the flow of rainwater.

According to Rogerio Manjate, multiple teams from the municipality of Xai-Xai are on the ground assessing the damage caused by the ongoing heavy rain.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological Services in Gaza point out that the rain scenario impacting the coastal area of the districts of Xai-Xai and Limpopo was previously predicted, and they propose preventative measures because it could continue to rain until Monday.

Mozambique: A conjunctivitis outbreak is impacting businesses' production.

Agostinho Vuma, head of Mozambique's Confederation of Economic Associations (CTA), said on Friday in Maputo that the conjunctivitis outbreak in numerous regions of the country is harming business productivity.

"The epidemic of conjunctivitis is harming labour productivity. Companies have started laying off affected employees who have been at home for more than 15 days, impacting corporate performance," Vuma said during the Labour Consultative Commission's first ordinary plenary session, which also includes the government.

According to recent reports from the ministry of health, there are now almost 17,000 Mozambicans afflicted with the adenovirus that causes hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, mostly in the provinces of Nampula and Sofala.

"As a part of society, businesses have an obligation to care for the families who ensure that there will be a market for the goods they create in addition to the workers, who are their most valuable resource. In keeping with this, we would like to express our solidarity with the public being affected by hemorrhagic conjunctivitis and urge everyone to come together and follow the health authorities' guidelines to prevent the disease from spreading and to safeguard everyone's health," Vuma appealed.

On March 11th, according to the official to recent ministry of health data, about 17,000 Mozambicans have been infected with the adenovirus that causes hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, with the majority living in the provinces of Nampula and Sofala.

Conjunctivitis was reported in at least seven Mozambican provinces, with Nampula in northern Mozambique accounting for the majority of occurrences. Meanwhile, on 19 March, the Beira Central Hospital in Sofala province, the country's largest health unit, had seen 2,800 instances of conjunctivitis. Agostinho Vuma also cautioned of Mozambique's "two-speed" economic growth, with positive performance focused in the extractive industry, which is "less than optimal considering the lost value to the economy due to the successive difficulties that have afflicted the business sector".

Many companies have declared bankruptcy as a result of their financial challenges. In this context, it's worth noting that Mozambique's Tax Authority announced a few days ago that 3,000 enterprises had been declared insolvent, with severe consequences for employability, income creation, and the state's ability to collect money," stated the CTA president.

In the same speech, Vuma requested that the draft bill on private security, which "the private sector has been advocating for nearly ten years," be discussed before the Labour Consultative Commission "later this year."

"Unfortunately, insecure job connections have been a defining feature of this industry, which boasts one of the highest employment rates. We think that this situation of insecure work relations might greatly improve with the passage of the law," he stated.

Additionally, he stated that it is important to "emphasise the merits of the document and the benefits" that it "can bring to the fluidity of urban transport" within the "framework of the proposal for the staggering of service timetables," which has been put up by the ministry of transport and communications.

But in order for it to become a reality, the proposer needs to make sure that it complies with the recommendations made by this body's expert technical subcommittees, particularly with reference to the Labour Law.

President Nyusi: Cabo Delgado's future is not sealed with the withdrawal of SADaC forces

The Republic's president, Filipe Nyusi, has stated that the struggle against terrorism in Cabo Delgado will continue despite the departure of SADC forces from the Northern Operational Theatre on July 15.

During his participation in the extraordinary summit of the troika of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the body for cooperation in the areas of politics, defence, and security, Filipe Nyusi drew attention to certain countries' expressed interest in forging bilateral cooperation to combat terrorism.
"Everything points to July 15th as a possible withdrawal date." In the meantime, we as a nation will continue to scale up our military efforts, and other countries have offered to collaborate with us on a bilateral basis."

The Mozambican politician emphasised that SADC, as a local alliance, is committed to assisting the country during times of need. 

Mozambique: US intends to support Cabo Delgado with extra $22 million

The US Government intends to make available US$22 million (€20.3 million) in new funds this year to support “stabilisation efforts” in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, the US Embassy in Maputo said .

In a statement on the conclusion of a visit from March 17 to 21 to Mozambique by the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, Anne A. Witkowsky, notes that the provision of these funds still depends on approval in Congress.

“With this investment, the United States will have dedicated nearly $100 million in stability-focused assistance to northern Mozambique since 2022. This funding builds upon the broader development and humanitarian assistance provided by the United States throughout the country,” the statement reads.

“Mozambique’s progress toward sustainable peace is essential for the economic prosperity of all Mozambicans and for the security of the region,” said Deputy Secretary Witkowsky, quoted in the same statement.

“The United States is committed to supporting Mozambican partners to advance an integrated effort for peace and stability across Cabo Delgado and surrounding provinces – emphasizing civilian protection, access to justice, inclusive economic development, and transparent, democratic governance,” she added.

During her visit to Mozambique, the Assistant Secretary met with the Minister of Justice, Helena Kida, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Manuel José Gonçalves, civil society leaders, journalists, representatives of the private sector, non-governmental organisations and other diplomatic partners “working for peace in northern Mozambique”.

The United States says that, in collaboration with local partners, it is mobilising diplomatic support, development assistance, and security sector engagement “to prevent violence, promote stability, and build resilience through locally led solutions in Cabo Delgado and neighbouring provinces”.

It adds that ongoing U.S. programs are providing training for local government officials to deliver services, supporting community radio, promoting social cohesion through peace clubs, sports, and the arts, and increasing educational and employment opportunities for youth, including through construction of the new secondary school in Pemba, capital of Cabo Delgado province.

The province of Cabo Delgado has been facing an armed insurgency for six years, with some attacks claimed by the extremist Islamic State group. After a period of relative calm in 2023, these attacks have multiplied this year, displacing around 100,000 people in February alone, and leaving a trail of destruction, death and scattered families.

European Union and Mozambique to continue cooperation on investment for development

The European Union (EU) said that it will continue to encourage European businesses to invest in various Mozambican developmental sectors.

The EU ambassador Antonino Maggiore expressed the pledge, Friday on the Island of Mozambique, at the end of the Sectoral Dialogue on Economy, Trade and Investment between Mozambique and the EU.

Antonino Maggiore said that the dialogue resulted in reinforced lessons on cooperation to increase interconnectivity in the business world.

On the occasion, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Mr Silvino Moreno, said that Mozambique is open to receiving and developing investment projects from the EU and beyond.

On the sidelines of the Sectoral Dialogue on Economy, Trade and Investment between Mozambique and the European Union, a business and investment round table was held between the private sector of the two parties. (RM)

Gaza: Road accident claims two lives, sixteen injuries.

Gaza province.

Three fatalities and sixteen grave and minor injuries resulted from a road accident Friday morning, in the administrative post of Chidenguele, Mandlakazi district as a consequence of the he head on collision ,of two semi-collective passenger transport vehicles, which were traveling in the south-north direction and vice versa, on National Road number 1 (EN1).

The traffic police officer who went to the scene of the accident, cited overspeeding and fatigue on the part of the driver who was traveling Gaza-Inhambane, as the principal causes of this road accident which also resulted in damage to both vehicles.

 The injured were taken to the Chidenguele Health Center and Quissico District Hospital, in the Zavala district, Inhambane, where they are getting treatment.