Nyusi promises solution to Maganja water problem

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Nyusi promises solution to Maganja water problem

7:30 CAT | 04 Sep 2017

InfoDiario (File photo)

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Thursday promised the people of Maganja da Costa district, in the central province of Zambezia, that a solution will be found to their chronic water problems by 2019, when his current term of office ends.

At the rally he addressed in Maganja da Costa town, residents complained of shortages of clean drinking water. “When somebody falls ill at home, and we take them to the hospital, we are obliged to bring water as well”, a woman named Maria de Lurdes told the President.

Since sources of clean water were often a long way from their homes, the daily routine of fetching water interfered in the productive activities of many people in the district.

Nyusi recognised the seriousness of the problem and promised that, in this cycle of governance (running from 2015 to 2019) a solution will be found. Currently only 49 per cent of the district’s population (estimated at 220,000 people) have access to sources of clean drinking water.

Speakers at the rally also asked for rehabilitation of the bridge over the Lugela river. The bridge was severely damaged in the floods of early 2015, and road traffic over the river was interrupted. Since this adds to the transport costs of businesses, the prices people pay for basic consumer goods have risen.

People also called for the roads linking Maganja town to the various administrative posts in the district to be tarred, and for increased banking facilities – the opening of another branch of a commercial bank, or at least the installation of more automated teller machines (ATMs).

Nyusi recognised the legitimacy of these concerns, and told the rally the government is working to ensure that by 2019 there will be at least one branch of a commercial bank in all the 154 districts in the country.

Source: AIM