Maputo, 6 Feb (AIM) – Residents of Chongoene district, in the southern Mozambican province of Gaza, have forced the stoppage of construction work on the local port terminal because the Chinese Desheng company, which is responsible for the work, has allegedly failed to honour an agreement aimed at electrifying part of the district.
According to the independent daily “O País”, members of the public invaded the port and paralyzed building work because Desheng has failed to fulfill social responsibility obligations in the community since 2023, although there is an agreement signed a week ago between the population and the company.
In the agreement, the Chinese company promised to electrify half of the Nhampfunhine community, which has not happened, although company officials claimed that they have already made the full amount available for this purpose.
“What happened to get us back on the streets is that on our side everything is at a standstill that’s why we decided to paralyze activities. We want electricity, that’s why the population went to the facilities where the work on the port project is taking place and expelled the workers from the camp, including the respective managers, for failing to fulfill the agreement”, a resident of Nhampfunwine said.
“We won’t accept it any longer, we’ve decided to break the peace and expel the Chinese managers from the project. As soon as the conditions are met to fulfill the agreement, we’ll talk again”, said another resident.
A Desheng spokesperson said that the company has already paid out over six million meticais (93,000 dollars at the current exchange rate) for the purchase of electrification material.
For his part, Alberto Matusse, director of the provincial planning and infrastructure services in Gaza, claimed that 50 per cent of the electrification project had already been carried out.
As a result of the unrest, the Chongoene district administrator, Artur Macamo, tried to talk to the population, claiming that agreement has not failed. “We sat down with the population and asked for the work to resume, but there was no consensus. Now we are interacting with the Chinese managers to deepen the existing capacity to fulfill the electrification agreement,’ said Macamo.
The stoppage of work on the port terminal compromises the flow of over 270,000 tonnes of minerals processed from the heavy sands of Chibuto district.
The unrest seems to be spreading. On Thursday morning, residents of the Chonguene locality of Bungane barricaded the road leading to Manjacaze district, demanding immediate electrification. They said they will not allow the road to be reopened until the area is electrified.
(AIM)
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