Mozambique has the highest road accident rates in Southern Africa – Minister

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Mozambique has the highest road accident rates in Southern Africa – Minister

10:39 CAT | 22 Sep 2025

Photo: AIM

Mozambique has the highest road accident rates in southern Africa, a situation described as both “unacceptable” and “preventable” by the country’s Minister of Transport and Logistics, João Matlombe.

“Mozambique has been the country with the highest accident rates in the region. In the last two months alone, around 65 people have died in traffic accidents. These are unacceptable and preventable situations,” Matlombe said, as quoted in local media on Sunday.

The Minister pointed to common contributing factors, including overcrowding and speeding, which he said reflected widespread “recklessness” among drivers.

“A set of government-level measures is now being implemented, in coordination with the traffic police and the National Road Transport Institute (INATRO), to curb accidents,” Matlombe added.

Authorities are also intensifying driver awareness campaigns, especially with the approach of the festive season, traditionally the most dangerous period on Mozambican roads.

The Mozambican Federation of Transport Associations (FEMATRO) has called for stronger enforcement and the elimination of corruption within the police force, arguing that it undermines road safety efforts.

“Solutions start with enforcement. The government must put an end to the high level of corruption within our police force,” said FEMATRO President Castigo Nhamane during a press conference in Maputo on Thursday.

Nhamane also urged the inclusion of transport sector representatives in road safety inspections and accident investigation commissions, saying:

“We’ve long requested that our members—transport operators—be part of enforcement teams, but we’ve not been allowed. We don’t want to replace the police inspectors, we respect their role, but we want to be part of the solution.”

In August alone, at least 87 people died in Mozambique, victims of 48 traffic accidents, the Minister of the Interior announced on Wednesday, acknowledging concern about the high road accident rate and calling for greater accountability from traffic officers in enforcement.

On September 13, the Ministry of the Interior suspended the traffic officers who were on duty at the checkpoint where an accident occurred in Nicoadala district, Zambézia province, in the central part of the country, in which 11 people died.

The Mozambican government announced on Tuesday the establishment of mandatory rest stops for drivers every 300 kilometers and a rotation of long-distance drivers as part of measures to curb traffic accidents in the country.

At least 575 people died in traffic accidents between January and August in Mozambique, a 14% increase compared to the same period in 2024, the government announced last week, acknowledging “critical challenges” in road safety.

Road accident rates in Mozambique are classified as dramatic, with authorities pointing to speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol as the main causes.

Source: Lusa