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DW / A strech of the Cuamba-Lichinga road
Despite repeated promises by the government, the EN13 – which connects Lichinga to Cuamba in Niassa Province –
remains unpaved. The rapid deterioration along the stretch of road causes considerable damage to the vehicles that drive on it.
Additionally, drivers complain that it now takes several hours to travel from Lichinga to Cuamba, instead of three.
Passenger transporters complain that the cost of repairs to their vehicles after travelling along the precarious route is unsustainable. Parts such as springs, shock absorbers and suspension need to be regularly replaced.
The stretch of road, which is 300 kilometres long, is considered fundamental for the development of the northern province of Niassa.
For several years residents have been asking the government to initiate works to pave the road.
In November 2016, President Filipe Nyusi – on a working visit to Lichinga – vowed that works were scheduled to commence later that month, but to date, nothing has happened.
During his annual balance sheet of 2016, the Governor of Niassa, Arlindo Chilundo, assured the media that the works would start in the first three months of 2017.
Criticism of investment in Catembe:
“The whole road is full of mud and potholes”, laments Bento Santana, a resident of the surrounding area. Santana draws attention to the government’s investment in the construction of the Catembe Bridge, which will link the two sides of Maputo Bay – a project that is expected to cost around US$700-million.
“We, the people of Niassa, have felt a lot. The value of the Catembe bridge was high enough to be felt here in the north”, he says.
Aware of the critical state of the road, the Niassa provincial government, through the National Highway Administration (ANE), has packed rocks into the larger potholes to facilitate the vehicles’ movement.
According to spokesperson Geraldo Macalane, the provincial government has sought to ensure that “there is a budget for prompt repairs to the most critical areas along the stretch of road”.
However, the measures thus far taken by the authorities continue to provoke criticism among road users.
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