Mozambique: Road accidents deadlier than any disease

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Mozambique: Road accidents deadlier than any disease

6:01 CAT | 11 Nov 2025

Photo: O País

Road accidents in Mozambique are deadlier than any disease, the Minister of Transport and Logistics said on Monday, calling for greater oversight and compliance with traffic rules.

“Accidents today are killing more people than any public health disease we have in the country and that worries us, because we think we can prevent it. Therefore, we are having quite large economic losses,” said João Matlombe, who was speaking in the city of Beira, in the centre of Mozambique.

According to the government official, fatal road accidents also cause great social damage to families, and the centre of the country is one of those that contributes to accidents with a serious impact in terms of fatalities.

In the city of Beira, Matlombe handed over 10 vehicles to the National Institute of Road Transport (INATRO) to intensify road inspections and prevent overcrowded vehicles.

“These vehicles should be used to effectively carry out inspections, so that our inspectors are more responsible. We can’t keep having situations where overcrowded vehicles have accidents while passing through checkpoints. Therefore, our colleagues must also be more responsible in this regard,” said Matlombe.

Also in the early hours of Monday morning, there was a road accident in the district of Mandlakazi, Gaza province, which resulted from a crash into a tree, with at least one death reported.

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

In August alone, at least 87 people died in Mozambique as a result of 48 road accidents, said the Minister of the Interior, acknowledging concern about the high number of road accidents and calling for greater responsibility on the part of traffic officers in enforcement.

At least 575 people died in road accidents between January and August in Mozambique, an increase of 14% compared to the same period in 2024, the government said last week, acknowledging critical challenges in road safety.

In September, Mozambique’s government announced the establishment of mandatory rest stops every 300 kilometres and the rotation of long-distance drivers, as part of measures to curb road accidents.

Source: Lusa