Moamba (Mozambique), 15 Sep (AIM) – Daniel Chapo, the presidential candidate of Mozambique’s ruling Frelimo Party has pledged to speed up construction of the Moamba-Major dam, on the Incomati river, in Maputo province.
Speaking at an election rally on Saturday in Moamba, some 60 kilometres north of Maputo city, Chapo declared “we want to speed up construction of the dam to guarantee the retention of water”.
The dam is intended to create a 760 million cubic metre reservoir to serve the Greater Maputo Metropolitan Area. The project includes a power station that will generate 15 megawatts of electricity.
The dam was to have been financed by the Brazilian National Social and Economic Development Bank (BNDES), and construction was to have started in May 2016.
But there has been no work on the dam for the past eight years: Moamba Major became a victim of a BNDES review of projects which involved Brazilian companies under investigation for major corruption.
In the case of Moamba Major, the company under investigation was the Brazilian building company, Andrade Gutierrez.
If construction of the dam does get under way, it will be because the Brazilian authorities have relented. Last year, the Brazilian ambassador to Mozambique, Ademar da Cruz, told reporters there had been “significant developments” in high level talks, leading to optimism that the funding “will be unlocked”.
The ambassador said that the BNDES sees no obstacle to resuming funding. But that was a year ago, and still there has been no sign of any construction.
Chapo also promised to build a road bridge across the Incomati. Currently anyone driving to the town of Magude must use a bridge which was originally designed as a rail bridge. The new bridge proposed by Chapo will be part of the road from Moamba to Magude and on to Xinavane.
Chapo pledged to re-open the border post with South Africa at Mapulanguene. He believed this would stimulate the local economy and encourage tourists to visit the game reserves in the area.
He added that Frelimo wants to solve the problem of access to clean drinking water in Magude town and nearby localities.
Chapo said he intends to create jobs by attracting investment in agriculture and livestock.
(AIM)
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