Mfumo adrift: Bad weather affects Maputo-Catembe ferry crossing

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Mfumo adrift: Bad weather affects Maputo-Catembe ferry crossing

3:47 CAT | 23 Aug 2016

Folha de Maputo

Bad weather affected the Maputo-Catembe crossing yesterday, with high winds preventing the 1:00 p.m. ferry docking at Catembe.

In the afternoon, strong winds dragged the only ferry boat currently operating, the Mfumo, leaving many in despair. It all started around 1 p.m. when the ferry, which had just left Maputo carrying people and vehicles, was unable to dock on the side of Catembe. It was only two hours later that the vessel managed to dock.

On the Maputo side, the situation was characterised by long lines of people waiting without news. Maritime police eventually came to tell them that even the small boats known as ‘Mapapai’ were unable to sail because of the bad weather. “We are here for a long time. They said the ferry was gone. We have no information of what is happening,” passenger Fernanda Tembe said.

Elias Tembe, a driver who had been waiting more than three hours, summed up the situation. “This is wrong. If there is no progress I will have to use the Boane route to get to my destination, which means more costs in terms of fuel,” he said. Another driver, Crisóstomo Matimbe, said he was very worried because he had left his children on the Catembe side. “Here I am with the goods and the kids are in Catembe alone and I do not know what to do. I leave everything in God’s hand,” he said.

Four hours later, around 6:00 p.m., the Mfumo ferry resumed operations. In an interview with O País, Maritime Administration representative Maulide Muro said that the vessel engines had temporarily failed and was adrift on the current, but that was all resolved.

Maputo users however criticised the management of the service, saying it made no sense that transport to Catembe consisted of a single ferryboat with such a flow of people and vehicles to be accommodated.

The bad weather also affected fishermen caught at sea by the unexpectedly strong winds.

Source: O País