Mozambique: Beira celebrates 117th birthday

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Mozambique: Beira celebrates 117th birthday

4:33 CAT | 20 Aug 2024

Image: Conselho Municipal da Beira

Beira, capital of Sofala province, has had city status since 20 August 1907 and therefore today celebrates its 117th anniversary. As is customary for Mozambicans, the date is marked with a wide range of activities throughout the city, which is also, from an administrative point of view, a municipality.

A major public event, as is now customary, will take place in the Municipal Square, where the mayor and other authorities from the city and province will have the opportunity to speak, emphasising the need for residents to continue working towards the development of the city, but also towards the preservation of the built heritage here, part of which was destroyed by Cyclone Idai in March, 2019.

Tonight will be for partying at Praça dos Pescadores, where a gigantic stage has been set up for a musical show, featuring Twenty Fingers, Mr. Bow, Calene, Chef Gaf, Djaakas, Dayon Vuma, Dito Filipe, 4 Ases and Manune Jackson, among others.

With a population of 533,825 inhabitants (according to the 2017 Census), the city of Beira was originally developed by the Companhia de Moçambique in the 19th century, and then directly by the Portuguese colonial government between 1942 and 1975, in which year Mozambique gained its independence from Portugal.

Today the city is modernised, although it still has some run-down and problematic areas, such as the Grande Hotel da Beira. After Maputo, Beira is the second largest seaport for international cargo transport to Mozambique.

Meanwhile, as part of the city day celebrations, the first stone was laid for the construction of the second water retention basin in the Estoril area, and the Rua 1 in the Manga neighbourhood, which has recently been rehabilitated, was also handed over to the residents.

Other streets, such as Pais Ramos, which connects the Esturro and Matacuane neighbourhoods, and Estrada 2009, which connects Manganhe and Macurungo, are lined up for inauguration.

“It is a great satisfaction because the contractor met expectations. Unfortunately, there are several projects in the country that have to be resolved in court, but that is not the case in Beira,” said Albano Carige.

He announced that rehabilitation work on two roads, which are in a very advanced state of degradation, in the industrial area in the Pioneiros neighbourhood and Rua Seis in Manga, will begin soon, at the same time that the beira Municipality has launched a tender for the paving of roads No. 9 and Quatro in Manga.

“The consultancy and preparation of the project have already been carried out. These roads already have guaranteed funds, which amount to around 320 million meticais, financed by the World Bank through the Urban and Local Development Project,” said Mayor of Beira, Albano Carige.

Carina says a survey will soon be carried out on Rua 17 in the Nhaconjo neighbourhood and also Ruas 2 and 19 in Manga. According to the official, it is not possible to do everything at once, but with the little that exists, especially with highly transparent management, the aim is to bring a healthy life to the citizens.

Carige, who was awarded the Diamond Award in the Most Proactive Mayor category, saw the Municipality of Beira win awards in the categories of Cleanliness, Employment, Investments and Citizens at the PMR Africa Gala, an international consulting organisation, believes that the construction of the second water retention basin will solve the city’s major flooding problem.

The scheme involves 12 kilometres of drainage ditches in the neighbourhoods of Macuti, Macurungo, Matacuane, Chota and the areas of Estoril and Palmeiras II.

“In these areas, the suffering we were experiencing will be greatly reduced, and perhaps even ended,” Carige said after laying the first stone, marking the beginning of the project.

Source: Notícias