Mozambique formally takes control of Cahora Bassa

Mozambique on Tuesday formally took over from Portugal the control of Cahora Bassa hydroelectric dam, Africa's second most important after that of Aswan in Egypt. "The control of the dam signifies for us the elimination of the last vestiges of European colonialism in Africa," Mozambican President Armando Guebuza said before a crowd of 10 000 people.

New pipeline to help ease SA fuel crunch

A $600-million diesel and petrol pipeline linking the Mozambican capital, Maputo, with neighbouring South Africa will be in operation by the end of 2009, an official with the company overseeing the project said on Monday. "We will start building it in mid-2008 and it will be ready by 2009," said an executive with pipeline firm Petroline.

Mozambique rail firm keen to cut Spoornet wagon link

Mozambique's state-run railway company said on Friday it was investing $30-million to upgrade its fleet in a move to cut $100-million in wagon hiring fees charged by rail freight firm Spoornet. CFM, which operates the African nation's railways and ports, plans to refurbish 820 refurbished wagons with the investment.

Nando Matola killed in car accident

Missing soccer player Nando Matola has been reported to have died in a car accident, according to a report on Mozambique state radio on Thursday. It was reported that Matola, a Mozambican national who played for the Black Leopards in South Africa, was accompanied by his wife and three children when their car veered off the road and hit a tree.

Boost in UN spending is not enough say health ministers

African health ministers meeting in Mozambique on Wednesday described a planned 30% increase in spending on their continent by the UN's World Health Organisation as important, but not enough, given the massive problems to be faced.

Mozambique issues flood warning

Mozambican authorities have ordered tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes in the Limpopo River valley near Kruger National Park after one of the floodgates on a dam on the river broke. The breakage, which occurred despite recent repairs on the dam, comes as it fills to unseasonally high levels.

Mozambique raises security at SA embassy

Mozambique said on Friday it had beefed up security at South Africa's embassy in Maputo to prevent any retaliation over the xenophobic violence that has engulfed Johannesburg townships. "We are taking measures to prevent retaliatory action by furious Mozambicans," police spokesperson Arnaldo Chefo said.

Zimbabwean women sell sex for food in Mozambique

Mother-of-two Nyasha, desperate to put food on the table for her family back home in Zimbabwe, turned to sex work in neighbouring Mozambique after being told that it was a surefire way of earning United States dollars. "The money is little, but if I save it properly I will be able to send groceries that will sustain my family for some days," said the 23-year-old.

Zimbabweans head for Mozambique after meltdown

Taurai Chimombe queues up patiently for the chance to land a job as a mineworker in Mozambique -- a far cry from his dreams of running his own business back home in his Zimbabwean homeland. "As long as I've got a contract I will be here," says the 24-year-old.

Mozambique cops deny 'mandate to kill' approach

Mozambican police on Wednesday denied recent accusations by Amnesty International of having a "mandate to kill" in regard to policing the country. Police spokesperson First Deputy Police Commissioner Carlos Rungo said that accusations of the police killing and torturing citizens with near total impunity were completely untrue.

Amnesty: Mozambique cops killing with impunity

Police in Mozambique are killing and torturing people with near total impunity, according to a report by Amnesty International released on Tuesday. "Police in Mozambique seem to think they have a licence to kill, and the weak police accountability system allows for this," Michelle Kagari, deputy director of Amnesty International's Africa Programme, said.

Fifteen migrants a day trafficked to SA from Maputo

Up to 15 illegal immigrants from Asia and Africa were trafficked every day through Maputo's Mavalane International airport to South Africa, the Mozambican media reported on Saturday. O País said that this was done with the involvement of officials from the police, airports security, immigration and customs officials, and private airport security guards.

Zim arms ship heads for Angola, says Mozambique

A Chinese ship carrying arms to Zimbabwe, which was turned away from South Africa, is heading to Angola in hopes of docking there, the transport minister of Mozambique said on Saturday. The ship left South African waters on Friday after a court refused to allow the weapons to be transported across South Africa.

Mozambican defence minister sacked

Mozambican President Armando Guebuza has fired his defence minister barely a week after the sacking of some top military officers. In a terse presidential statement on Wednesday, Guebuza said he had replaced Tobias Dai with businessman Fillipe Nhussi.

Mozambique seeks extradition of 'child-sex trafficker'

Mozambique criminal investigation police have arrived in South Africa to negotiate the extradition of a woman alleged to be a child sex-slave trafficker, news reports said on Tuesday. The woman is accused of enticing Mozambican girls across the border to Pretoria where they are used as sex slaves.

UN: Southern Africa floods affect a million people

About a million people have suffered the effects of floods, cyclones and heavy rains across Southern Africa in the last year, the United Nations said in a statement issued on Tuesday. "In total, local authorities estimate that 987 516 Southern Africans have been affected adversely by rains, floods and cyclones since October last year.

Mozambique needs $8m for cyclone repairs

The Nampula provincial government in Mozambique will need at least $8-million to reconstruct infrastructure in five districts destroyed by Cyclone Jokwe, Francisco Mucanheira, the provincial permanent secretary, told Radio Mozambique in a report broadcast on Saturday.

Wild animals kill more than 130 in Mozambique

Wild animals killed at least 133 people and seriously injured 50 in Mozambique last year, the Agriculture Ministry said Tuesday. "This is a very high figure, but lower than the 144 of last year," departmental official Tomas Zimba said, confirming that the figures were contained in a ministry report.

Mozambique seeks urgent food aid after cyclone

The Mozambican government has made an urgent appeal to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to help more than 60 000 people left destitute when Cyclone Jokwe hit northern and central parts of the country. The WFP said in a statement it would begin distributing food to needy communities early next week.

Mozambique spared second hit as cyclone wanes

Cyclone Jokwe, which has wreaked havoc in Mozambique, was downgraded on Friday to a tropical depression, allaying fears of a damaging hit to the tourism town of Vilankulo. However, the cyclone, now heading towards Madagascar, still had Mozambique's coastal regions on yellow alert.

US says vigilante killings on the rise in Mozambique

Violence at the hands of security forces, lynchings and vigilantism against criminals, are tarnishing Mozambique's human rights record, according to a new report by the United States. The US State Department's country report on human rights, launched in Maputo, said there had been a rise in vigilante killings.

Cyclone Jokwe bears down on Mozambique

As tropical cyclone Jokwe threatened the tourism districts of Vilankulo and Govuro on Wednesday, the government of Inhambane province advised business owners and residents to take precautions. The state broadcaster reported that the owners of tourism establishments near the coast were being encouraged to close their businesses.

Eight killed as cyclone Jokwe lashes Mozambique

Tropical cyclone Jokwe battered parts of Mozambique for a third day on Monday, killing at least eight people and destroying thousands of homes in the northern Nampula province, Radio Mozambique reported. Four districts were being lashed by heavy downpours and strong winds of up to 200km/h, said the broadcaster.

Cyclone Jokwe flays Mozambique, one killed

Tropical cyclone Jokwe lashed northern Mozambique on Sunday, killing at least one person and destroying over 500 homes, a meteorological official said. Mussa Mustafa, head of Mozambique's National Meteorological Institute, said the cyclone, which swept through part of Madagascar last week, is expected to intensify by Monday.

Cyclone Jokwe lashes Mozambique

A tropical cyclone hit northern and central Mozambique on Saturday, destroying homes and cutting power lines, state media reported. Cyclone Jokwe lashed central Mozambique before hitting the northern coastal province of Nampula, travelling with winds of up to 130km/h, Radio Mozambique said. No casualties have been reported and the extent of the damage is not yet known.

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