Mozambique: Police fire on toll protesters again to try reopen access bridge – photos

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Mozambique: Police fire on toll protesters again to try reopen access bridge – photos

3:55 CAT | 27 Jan 2025

Photo: Lusa

The Mozambique police reopened the access to the Katemba bridge in Maputo at 14:00, four hours after it had been blocked. More recently, protesters and motorists contesting the resumption of the payment cut the road again, with more police fire.

Access to the Katembe bridge had been blocked by protesters since around 09:40 local time (two hours earlier in Lisbon) and after police intervention, which forced motorists to remove vehicles stopped in both directions before the toll plaza, traffic was gradually restored.

Bridgepr.lusa_

However, traffic resumed along with the payment of tolls. After a few dozen vehicles had passed the gantries, the first ones began to stop after the toll plaza, forced by other demonstrators. Once again, this blocked the only road access from the southern part of the country to and from Maputo.

While dozens of people chose to make the journey on foot, including crossing the bridge, where pedestrian traffic is prohibited, the police again fired tear gas and shots to try to demobilise the new blockade, at around 14:45 local time, precipitating the escape of those who were there.

Earlier in the morning, the police had fired and fired tear gas near the tollbooth.

A gas grenade hit a car in the queue, blocked by the protest, exploded inside and caused minor injuries to the sole occupant.

Bridgee-lusa

Rede Viária de Moçambique (Revimo), responsible for the construction, maintenance and operation of several national roads, announced on Saturday that it would resume charging tolls in the country today, suspended due to the post-election protests.

South Africa’s Trans African Concessions (TRAC), the concessionaire for the N4 motorway, which links Maputo to the border at Ressano Garcia, resumed charging tolls on Thursday, causing popular revolt.

In December, the then-presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane called for tolls to be stopped in the country. However, after some toll booths were destroyed and vandalised, several were closed, and no payments were taken.

Meanwhile, in a document published on Tuesday, with 30 measures he is demanding for the next 100 days, Venâncio Mondlane, who does not recognise the official results of the general elections on 9 October that gave victory to Daniel Chapo, once again called for no tolls throughout the country.

Policetolls.lusa_

Revimo, on the other hand, said that the fees collected through tolls pay for the maintenance of road infrastructure. It stated that it would continue to implement measures to mitigate costs, “including discounts” for collective passenger transport and frequent users.

Since 21 October, Mozambique has been experiencing a climate of strong social unrest, protests, demonstrations and stoppages, called by former presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, with violent clashes between police and demonstrators, as well as looting and destruction of public and private facilities.

According to the Decide electoral platform, a non-governmental organisation that monitors electoral processes in Mozambique, at least 315 people have died in these protests, including around two dozen minors, and at least 750 people have been shot.

Source: Lusa